A business group based in Bury St Edmunds has officially opened its new office in West Suffolk College in a bid to bring education and commerce closer together.

Attending the launch on Wednesday were business leaders and key partners of Bury St Edmunds Chamber of Commerce and the college, including Mark Pendlington, chairman of New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership and Jan Bloomfield, director of workforce and communications at the West Suffolk Foundation NHS Trust.

Bury St Edmunds MP Jo Churchill, who cut the ribbon to the new chamber office, said: “As some of you may know, education, young people and business are great passions of mine. That is why I was so pleased to hear of this initiative placing a chamber of commerce office in a college.

“There is a hugely diverse, unique mix of business in this area, and this brilliant relationship will provide our students with the best opportunities as the future of business.

“It is well recognised that work experience, apprenticeships and the connectivity between education and the workplace is vital to upskill and inform us all, and this collaboration is a fantastic example of bringing this all together.”

College principal Dr Nikos Savvas said: “The college has worked to build excellent links with the business community to enhance our students’ educational experience and career opportunities.

“We are delighted to welcome Bury St Edmunds Chamber of Commerce into our college and are proud to be leading the way with this unique collaboration. We want every one of our students to have the real-life experience with a business, whether they are students from our sixth form sector, trade sector or our university.

“The great benefit to the students is that they will have a portfolio of work experience to show when they apply for university or for a job.

“And of course the benefit to employers is that they will have a student who is work-ready and able to contribute to their business immediately.”

Matt Moss, chairman of the chamber, said: “The business community of Bury St Edmunds is delighted with this new partnership with West Suffolk College.

“We believe in being at the heart of our vibrant local economy and our new offices mean we can provide first -class services in a first-class environment.

“We are accessible for local firms and we are now in the right place to nurture the business leaders of tomorrow.”