A NEW £1.2 million animal management centre has recently opened at Tameside College.
The new learning resource at the Beaufort Road campus in Ashton-under-Lyne has workshops and outdoor pens.
It is now home to an array of different animals including insects, reptiles, fish, amphibians, meerkats, goats and dogs.
Staff and students have already loved working in the new environment, which Ashton-under-Lyne MP Angela Rayner has also been to visit.
It’s part of a £100 million investment in the college campus – with other initiatives including the creation of a hospital ward and children’s simulation suite in the health and early years department, while the welding workshops have also received a makeover.
The principal Jackie Moores said: “Every year, we use labour market information to determine what employers need and what do young people need, as well as apprentices and adults.
“But it’s not just about the buildings. It’s about what’s inside the buildings, it’s about the specialist kit that the employers say they want their employees to work on, to be confident using.
“We are delighted that in Tameside, we now have some of the highest number of adults with Level 3 qualifications. So many of our adults and young adults are able to progress to a wide range of well-paid careers across Greater Manchester, as well as places at top universities.
“We continually develop the curriculum offer to ensure that Tameside residents have access to high-quality education and training to prepare them for the next stage of their career – be that further study, employment, apprenticeships or university.”
To emphasise this ambition, Tameside College has just started preparing the ground at its Beaufort Road campus for a new multi-million pound automotive centre.
Set to open in autumn 2024, the new centre will focus on electric and hybrid technologies and offer students a teaching environment to learn new ‘green’ skills for the next generation of transport.