MORE classrooms, interactive white boards, a re-modelled beauty salon and a refurbished bistro are just a few of the major new plans for Weston College.
A celebration was held last week to mark 10 years since the arrival of principal Dr Paul Phillips, and to coincide with this, details about future developments have been revealed exclusively to the Mercury.
From multi-million pound building projects to new degree courses and improved apprenticeship schemes, many things have changed throughout the college since 2001 – and Dr Phillips has more in store.
The 51-year-old, who was awarded an OBE in January for his services to further education and the voluntary sector, said: “I am very proud to see where Weston College is today and I am honoured that everyone involved has given so much.
“I am really excited about the future of the college as we have lots planned. We put the learner first and success here is down to a combined effort from everyone associated with the college.”
Dr Phillips said the college hopes to transform the atrium at Knightstone Campus by turning the old register office into an enrolment centre and combining the lounge and office space with new seating.
Other plans for the campus in Knightstone Road involve opening up the library into one room.
This will mean new IT equipment and interactive white boards, which use touch detection and digital ink, and these developments should be completed by autumn this year.
The beauty salon will be ‘totally refurbished’ and all the catering facilities will be focused on the second floor and include a bistro, shop and coffee area around a central refectory.
Work to the front of the South West Skills Campus (SWSC), in Locking Road, will begin this autumn and will be phased in over several years and a new roof will be put on the Construction and Engineering Centre of Excellence.
Meetings are also ongoing over a possible on-site employment training area, featuring three classrooms, office space, welfare facilities and a warehouse for logistics training at the SWSC.
On Monday North Somerset Council approved plans for four new classrooms at the University Campus, in Loxton Road, due to issues of overcapacity.
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