Work on the £4m expansion of Wirral Met College reaches halfway point with the handover of a new teaching block. Tony McDonough reports
A £4m expansion of the Wirral Met College campus close to Wirral waterfront has reached the halfway stage.
Project contractor Krol Corlett has now handed over a new teaching block, that will focus on maths and English, at the Twelve Quays campus in Wirral Waters in time for the college’s September intake.
This project will now focus on the completion of the new NEXUS Engineering Hub which is scheduled to complete in October.
Gill Banks, principal and chief executive of Wirral Met, said: “Students will benefit from a dedicated, modern environment designed to help them develop the essential maths and English skills that underpin success in education, employment and life.
“We’re also particularly pleased that our construction apprentices have had the opportunity to gain valuable hands-on experience throughout the project, working alongside industry professionals and seeing first-hand how a major construction development is delivered.
“Experiences such as this are invaluable in preparing the next generation of skilled workers for successful careers in the sector.”
Krol Corlett’s managing director Dan Tebay, who achieved his joinery qualifications from Wirral Met, added: “Aside from delivering on time and to budget, one of the most pleasing aspects of this job is how many of the college’s construction students we’ve been able to involve in the project.
“The classroom is vital, but there’s nothing like being on site experiencing how a complex project is delivered, the discipline needed to ensure everything goes smoothly, and the camaraderie with all the different trades.
“We’ll be delivering the new workshop whilst the college functions at full capacity, which requires very careful planning.
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“Many of our sites are ‘live’ operational workplaces with high footfall, such as hospitals, universities and transport hubs. Not only do our site managers know how to plan around this, but so do our trades and their logistical support.”
The wider project team comprises 10 Architect, MDA Wirral (structures), Futureserv (building services) and SDA Consulting (cost consultants).