Chris Young, head of Sizewell C’s Employment Affairs Unit, said: “It’s a national as well as a regional imperative to create more opportunities and build the skilled workforce we need for the future. This new campus at East Coast College is an important part of how our region is responding to this need – and we are delighted to provide the funding to make it happen.
“We want to leave a lasting legacy of skills, employment, and opportunity in the East of England, and our relationship with East Coast College is central to that ambition: our partnership has already led to the creation of Nucleus, an on-campus employability hub, and the Lound Civil Campus is another significant investment in skills and job opportunities for communities here. We can’t wait to see the impact it will have for thousands of people in our region.”
The campus will deliver a wide range of training opportunities, to boost skills and support workforce development across the sector. It will cater to new entrants, career changers, and existing workers seeking to up-skill, ensuring inclusive access to high-quality vocational education.
Cllr Vicky Armstrong, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance, Economic Development and Efficiencies said: “The Lound Civil Campus will open doors for Suffolk learners, providing them with the skills, knowledge and opportunities they need to take their first steps into construction and engineering. From gaining entry-level skills to developing and upskilling throughout their careers, the campus will help create clear pathways into exciting and rewarding careers across the sector.
“By investing in people and developing the skills our region needs now and for the future, the project will leave a lasting legacy for Suffolk. It will support the growth of opportunities around Sizewell and beyond, helping to position Suffolk as a leading place to live, learn, work and invest for future Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects.”
The project has been designed to be delivered in multiple phases. The £2.1m ASEC funding has supported Phase 2 of the project, which will deliver a Technical Operators training area. Work on this phase is already underway.
Cllr Tom Daly, East Suffolk Council’s Cabinet Member for Energy Projects, said: “When skills and workforce are locally based, it provides a genuine legacy for East Suffolk, and the Loud Civil Campus is a huge step in that direction. This is not just in relation to SzC but for the many renewable energy projects that are currently operating and organisations that are being attracted, for example, to the Lowestoft Power Park development.
“It is essential that young people from all backgrounds have access to the training and experience that will make them players in the decarbonisation energy revolution that East Suffolk is playing such a major part in hosting.
Phase 3 of the project, which includes the partial refurbishment of existing site infrastructure to create a dedicated construction training area, is expected to begin within six months of the start of Phase 2.
Rachel Bunn Exec Skills Director at East Coast College, said: “The ASEC funding has provided us with the unique opportunity to develop a regional training facility to help current and future individuals to receive training linked to job opportunities. The funding will allow us to create and deliver courses for new entrants as well as skilled workers.”
Sizewell C has already signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with East Coast College, outlining plans to work together on several exciting new projects.
The project has also supported the establishment of a thriving on-campus employability hub, and earlier this year welcomed its first full cohort of East Coast College work experience students to site.
