The new facilities at East Kent College’s Shorncliffe Road campus in Folkestone have been revealed, following a £3.7m investment.
At an event to celebrate how far the campus has come since it was acquired by East Kent College in August 2014, local politicians and businesses were given the opportunity to see the facilities for themselves.
Nick Sansom, East Kent College’s Folkestone Campus Principal, said: “The whole team has worked incredibly hard over the last 10 months so it was wonderful to see people’s reactions when they saw the new facilities for the first time. The transformation has been incredible and our students not only have a fantastic environment in which to learn, but they’re also using the very latest equipment.
“We’re very pleased that the Leader of Shepway District Council, David Monk, was able to join us and see how the Council’s £500,000 contribution to the campus has been spent.”
Guests at the launch event were given a tour of the training facilities on site, which include a commercial hair and beauty salon; a large training beauty salon; ‘The Edge’, the new School of Business and Creative; and a new sports pitch. East Kent College has also reintroduced early years and health and social care courses – including the HNC in health and social care – extended the construction training on offer to include brickwork and plastering and improved the general facilities with a new student centre and coffee shop.
Speaking at the event, Cllr Paul Carter, Leader of Kent County Council, said: “We are delighted to have worked with the team at East Kent College. We recognise the vital role that a strong further education sector plays in improving the county’s future, one built upon a skilled and motivated workforce.”
In September 2015, the College will be opening the commercial salon and restaurant facilities to customers, offering students the opportunity to train and learn in a working environment.
Graham Razey, Principal of East Kent College, commented: “The event was a great opportunity to show how far we have come in delivering on our promise to create a campus which offers real career opportunities for the district’s young people and meets the needs of Shepway’s business community.
“We’ve still got a long way to go but together I’m sure we’ll achieve our collective goals.”