Nottingham College has announced plans for a new state-of-the-art Centre for Sustainable Construction Technology at its Ruddington campus, set to open its doors to students in September 2026, directly addressing critical skills gaps in the region.
Supported by a grant of over £1.2m in Office for Students capital funding, combined with a proportion of matched funding from the college, the ambitious project will deliver Level 4 and 5 Higher Technical Qualifications in Modern Methods of Construction and Electrical Engineering, significantly boosting regional higher technical education capacity.
The new centre will feature a fully refurbished building equipped with photovoltaic installation, LED lighting and renewable energy training systems, demonstrating the college’s commitment to achieve carbon net zero by 2030. Students will benefit from industry-standard equipment and facilities, including 20 Building Information Modelling (BIM) workstations, timber frame assembly tables and a Digital Immersive Room for construction safety training, providing hands-on experience with the latest industry technologies.
This investment responds directly to the D2N2 Local Skills Improvement Plan, alongside the Skills England priority sectors, namely Construction, Clean Energy Industries and Advanced Manufacturing. The East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) has also invested £2.4bn in the 'Trent Arc Corridor', situated near Ruddington, which promises up to 30,000 new homes delivered by our regional construction industry.
At Nottingham College, our Industry Advisory Boards, which bring together employers from different sectors to align curriculum delivery with sector skills demands, have also flagged the importance of upskilling in sustainable building methods, including modular build and offsite construction.
Nottingham College’s fastest-growing provision – Level 1-3 electrical engineering – has seen 95% growth over two years, creating a robust pipeline for progression into higher technical qualifications. The centre also follows on from the recently opened Engineering and Electrical Apprenticeships Centre at Ruddington and the Green Skills Centre at Basford campus, expanding the college’s suite of future ready facilities for students.
Janet Smith, CEO and Principal of Nottingham College, said: "This Centre for Sustainable Construction Technology will be a unique learning environment for students to develop the skills needed to be future ready. We are incredibly excited to be working towards the opening of this facility, as something of a ‘living laboratory’, where students will experience net zero construction through daily interaction with renewable energy systems, energy-efficient building services and environmental monitoring technologies.
“Today’s announcement combines our commitment to sustainability with our agile response to local skills need, directly supporting our students embarking on a career in construction and green energy, and in turn contributing to the region’s economic growth and the UK’s net zero ambitions.”
James Swift, Director of Strategic Development and Projects at Nottingham College, added: "Securing Office for Students funding for this project is a testament to the college’s strategic vision and our strong working relationship with local partners who have provided the evidence that this facility is so desperately needed in the region.
“This new centre will help address the skills shortages identified by industry and provide students with the expertise needed to thrive in a rapidly evolving sector.”
All capital works and installations will be completed by March 2026, with the facility fully operational for the first student cohort in September 2026.