New campuses at North college

Jan 17 2008 By The Journal

GATESHEAD College is investing £60m to provide first class learning facilities across four fantastic new campuses.

This month the college’s £39m new Baltic Campus opens its doors to offer students the best possible learning environment.

The landmark building, situated in the Baltic Business Quarter, represents a major investment in educational facilities for the region. The college is the first building on the Baltic Business Park in the Quayside area of Gateshead.

The state-of-the-art campus will feature fully equipped modern classrooms as well as a beauty salon, spa, gym, 200-seat theatre, numerous hospitality venues and first class conferencing facilities.

The college also has a dedicated Services to Business unit which can offer a wide range of bespoke and off-the-shelf training for individuals and organisations.

Gateshead College principal David Cheetham said: “Students attending Gateshead College are given the best possible education to prepare them for their next step, whether it is carrying on their academic studies or putting their new skills to use in employment.

“Our students have access to excellent training facilities and superb teaching from staff who are dedicated to providing them with the knowledge and skills that they need to succeed.”

The college’s multi-million pound investment in a specialist Academy for Sport at Gateshead International Stadium and Skills Academy for automotive, manufacturing and logistics courses has proved extremely popular since they opened to students.

The Skills Academy is recognised as a Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE), offering students some of the best training facilities in the UK.

As a result of the superb equipment available at the academy, Gateshead College has become Nissan’s preferred training provider and all Nissan apprentices are trained at the college before going on to work at the company’s Sunderland plant. Gateshead College’s Academy for Sport is a £15m cutting edge centre catering for a wide range of sport related qualifications from fitness instructor courses and sports diplomas to reflexology and sports massage courses.

Students have the chance to train alongside elite athletes in a centre which features world-class training, scientific medical and coaching facilities.

The fourth campus has been created in collaboration with The Collective, a partnership of Gateshead work-based learning providers.

This campus is a brand new Skills Academy for construction trade courses which will cater for students who want to study towards a career in joinery, plumbing, carpentry, electrical installation, brickwork, plastering, gas servicing repair and painting and decorating.

Due to open in spring, the academy will also provide a Skills and Enterprise Centre for 14-16-year-old learners. Funded by the Learning and Skills Council and One NorthEast, the centre will provide facilities for more than 1,500 students.