Robotic welding, a refurbished motor vehicle workshop, an electrical workshop: Northampton College's £500,000 Booth Lane upgrade serves about 3,500 students.

Northampton College has opened more than £500,000 worth of upgraded construction and engineering workshops at its Booth Lane campus, including a welding workshop with robotic welding equipment and a refurbished motor vehicle workshop.

The college says the work will benefit about 3,500 students on courses ranging from construction and engineering to automotive, welding and fabrication. The money came from the Department for Education’s Construction Skills Capacity Fund.

Stuart Richmond-Watson, a deputy lieutenant of Northamptonshire, opened the facilities on Friday 23 October. He met students and staff and toured the workshops with Ross Hawkins, the college’s assistant principal for construction and engineering.

What has changed at Booth Lane

According to the college, the upgrade covers:

  • a specialist welding workshop with robotic welding technology
  • a newly refurbished motor vehicle workshop
  • an electrical workshop
  • upgraded facilities for painting and decorating, property maintenance, and inspection and testing

The college says the extra space means it can take on more students in subjects where employers are short of skilled workers, naming engineering, automotive, electrical installation and plumbing.

Jason Lancaster, principal and chief executive of Northampton College, said:

“Investing in our facilities is ultimately about investing in our students and their futures. We want our learners to develop their skills in environments that reflect the workplaces they will enter, using modern equipment and gaining the practical experience employers are looking for.

“This investment allows us to improve the learning experience for thousands of students while increasing capacity in areas where demand for skilled workers is high. By working closely with employers and ensuring our training reflects industry needs, we can help more people progress into rewarding careers and support the local economy.”

Stuart Richmond-Watson said:

“It was fantastic to visit Northampton College and see how investment in its construction and engineering facilities is creating better opportunities for local people. Giving students access to modern equipment and practical training is essential if we are to equip them with the skills employers need and help more young people take their first steps into rewarding careers. This is a positive investment in both the future workforce and the wider Northamptonshire economy.”

A second phase to follow

The college describes this as the first stage of a wider expansion. The second phase is due to add more classrooms, built using modern methods of construction, and another practical construction workshop. The college has not given a date for it.

A further £100,000 or more is coming through the college’s work with Construction Technical Excellence Colleges (CTECs) in the East of England, the East Midlands and nationally. The college says that money will pay for specialist resources, time for staff to update their industry knowledge, masterclasses run by employers and a programme that swaps teachers with people working in the industry.

Northampton College has around 8,000 students. Details of its courses, including those taught at Booth Lane, are on the Northampton College website.