Bradford College to spend £29m on refurbishment and new buildings

Bradford College is set for major refurbishment work

Bradford College has secured £29m in funding for projects which will deliver "transformative investment" in the city centre.

Projects include a £17m Future Technologies Centre (FTC) and £3.5m T Level facility.

The college said these would help "enrich" the area's workforce.

The funding comes from grants including cash from the Department for Education and The Office for Students (OfS) Higher Education Capital Fund.

Christopher Malish, the college's vice principal finance & corporate services, said: "This is a huge boost for the college but is also a transformative investment in Bradford city centre, that also supports the wider city centre development."

Other construction projects include a £3.5m extension of the David Hockney building and a £6.9 refurbishment of the derelict Garden Mills building on Thornton Road.

This will house the college's health science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) facilities.

The improvements will include a £17m Future Technologies Centre

Meanwhile the FTC, which will begin construction in the spring, will be the college's home of modern automotive and digital engineering such as electric and hybrid vehicles, robotics, advanced manufacturing and digital and 3D design.

The T Level building will feature a commercial barbering salon, a nail bar, a TV studio and media editing and recording studios.

T Level qualifications are an alternative to A Levels and focus on the hands-on skills that employers need.

Mr Malish said: "These new facilities will allow the delivery of curricula designed to address the big societal challenges, enrich our local workforce, showcase a range of inspiring careers, and encourage more businesses to relocate to our environmental and socially responsible region."