A live construction site is set to give students a chance to try their hand at a host of different building styles – from lime plastering to modular.
West Suffolk College's pioneering Milburn Innovation Park project is taking shape - thanks to construction giants Terrasite Ltd, which is part of the Breheny Group.
It has stepped in to work on the groundworks for the site, which will enable college students to construct 10 different training pods as part of their learning.
Each pod will have a unique style, ranging from the traditional styles such as clay lump, lime plastering and flint work, to more modern methods of construction such as modular.
MORE - Pubs and brewing giant is staying put in town, says chiefThe project give students the opportunity to work on a live construction site and receive invaluable on-site training. It will also see them train in the use of Building Information Modelling (BIM) - filling a void in current provision within the region.
Ralph Daff, managing director of Terrasite, said the industry was beset with a big skills gap, which was why his company had got involved in the Milburn project.
"The construction skills shortage is concerning to all organisations within the built environment across the UK," he said.
"When we found out about the Milburn Innovation Park, we knew we wanted to get involved and contribute what we could towards the project.
"It's a big step for budding construction trainees to enter into employment, particularly a construction site.
"This project therefore helps towards preparing students more for working in a site based environment, which will benefit both employee and employer."
Terrasite has also donated £500 worth of personal protective equipment.
Mark Ames, head of construction at the college, said: "We are over the moon with the generous support we have had from Terrasite and it was brilliant to see them come in to work with our students. On top of this they very generously donated us some PPE and signage. A huge thank you to Ralph and Paul from Terrasite."
A number of construction-related employers are backing the college project, which is aimed at tackling the current skills shortage in the local construction industry.
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