£9m state-of-the-art college vision unveiled

ARTIST’S impression . . . how the new development could look

EXCITING plans for a new digital skills centre at Oldham College have been unveiled.

A planning application will be submitted today for the four-storey, £9million building on Middleton Road, with the building set to open in January 2015 as part of a multi-million-pound development of the Rochdale Road campus.

The centre will bring together three areas — digital content creation, creative skills and enterprise — which the college believes are crucial to job and business growth.

Facilities will include a digital fabrication laboratory with a range of advanced digital manufacturing technology; a media suite with animation, recording, radio and TV studios, classrooms and open-plan learning areas for more 500 students, computer areas and programming labs, and visual arts, graphics, games art, digital and 3D design, pottery, art, photography and textiles areas.

The new building is the second phase of the college redevelopment, which is modernising its curriculum for the 21st century.

Principal and chief executive Alun Francis said: “We have been working for some time with many different partners to ensure Oldham is actively involved in the emerging digital education.”

The centre brings the total capital investment in the college in the last year to £25 million.

More projects will follow to modernise the rest of the campus.



The Oldham College masterplan redevelops the campus in phases.

Phase one is the new Learning Centre, due to open next April with 28 new classrooms, IT space, student services and a new college main entrance.

Phase two is the Digital Skills Centre, and the college is bidding for money for a third new building for hair and beauty, sport and hospitality courses. Other phases will see the remodelling of the existing Bellis and JT Hilton buildings.