A college has unveiled a £37 million state-of-the-art learning facility designed to support the next generation of skilled workers. Bournemouth and Poole College’s new Compass Building, located on its Bournemouth campus, is set to welcome its first students on September 2.
Phil Sayles, principal of Bournemouth and Poole College, said: “The opening of the Compass Building marks a significant investment in the future of our students, employers and the wider community. This is about much more than a new college building; it is about providing opportunities and ensuring local people have access to the skills, facilities and experiences they need to succeed.’
The four-storey building will accommodate up to 1,000 students across a range of subjects including business, catering and hospitality, digital and computing, hair and beauty, media, sport, travel and tourism, and uniformed public services. Designed to replicate real-world environments, the building features advanced IT suites, a media studio with green screen technology, and a travel and tourism training centre complete with a passenger jet fuselage and cabin.
Bournemouth and Poole College has services open to the public
The facility also includes Escoffier, a 66-seat restaurant and bar open to the public, where hospitality and catering students can train in a professional setting. The restaurant includes dedicated areas for meat and fish preparation, a pastry kitchen, and high-spec equipment designed to match those found in leading hotels and restaurants.
The Horizon Hair and Beauty salons, also open to the public, have been fitted to industry standards, enabling students to deliver a full range of treatments to real clients. On the top floor, students and staff will have access to The Observatory—a 160-seat dining, social, and events space. The ground floor features a new sports hall, gym, and climbing wall.
Mr Sayles said: “Every aspect of the facility has been designed with the future in mind. From specialist teaching spaces and industry-standard facilities to real-world environments in our Escoffier Restaurant and Horizon Salons, our students will learn in spaces that reflect the workplaces they are preparing to enter.”
The project also included the £12 million restoration of the college’s historic 150ft clock tower, first built in 1910.Stonemason Nathan Smith, who worked on the restoration, said: “Stonemasonry as a trade is in decline, so it is great to keep it alive on this building, especially where so many tradespeople such as construction workers are trained.”
The clock and bell were gifted to the town in 1919 by Anne Croft, mother of MP Henry Croft.
Source: https://uk.news.yahoo.com/bournemouth-poole-colleges-37m-building-040000560.html