City's £8.1m college training centre opens

The opening saw commemorative plaques unveiled to mark the occasion

An £8.1m training centre for college students in the Black Country has officially opened.

The City of Wolverhampton College Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre, based at the Wellington Road campus in Bilston, offers specialised engineering and automotive courses, including a focus on electric vehicles and robotics.

Facilities include a 12-bay automotive workshop, electric vehicle lab, and six classrooms.

New college principal and chief executive Louise Fall said the centre would benefit students for years to come.

About 100 guests were invited to the opening on Wednesday, with commemorative plaques unveiled by Councillor Stephen Simkins, leader of City of Wolverhampton Council, and Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands.

The launch of the new centre enabled the transfer of all automotive and engineering courses from the Paget Road campus in Compton, and is the first phase of the council's city Learning Quarter plan.

Facilities include an automotive workshop, electric vehicle lab, and specialist IT suite

The purpose-built centre was funded by £7.7m from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the remainder from the Black Country Local Enterprise Partnership.

"This fantastic new training facility will work hand in glove with the industry to provide courses that can give people the best possible start to their working lives and the skills to progress in their chosen career," said Mr Parker.

Students and apprentices had been welcomed to start their studies the previous week, at the start of the academic year.

"It is wonderful to see the first students already taking advantage of the new facilities to train, not only for jobs in current industries, but also for new and growing sectors," said Mr Simkins.

The second phase of the council's Learning Quarter plan will see the opening of a £61m campus in the centre of Wolverhampton, which is due to be completed for the 2025-26 academic year.