A new £65 million advanced tech campus by Cardiff and Vale College has been approved at Cardiff Airport, spearheading economic growth in the region.
- The campus spans 130,000 sq ft and is part of a £100 million expansion, marking a significant investment in educational infrastructure.
- Accommodating 2,000 students, the facility aims to boost skills in advanced technologies and green industries, aligned with net zero carbon goals.
- Expected to open by 2020, the project awaits full business case approval from the Welsh Government.
- This initiative follows approval for another £35 million campus in Barry, funded through the Welsh Government’s mutual investment model.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council has officially sanctioned a £65 million investment for a new advanced technology centre at Cardiff Airport, led by Cardiff and Vale College. This project is part of a broader £100 million infrastructure enhancement and represents a pivotal development in educational offerings in the area.
The planned 130,000 sq ft facility is set to complement the college’s current International Centre for Aerospace Training located at the Rhoose airport site. Creation of this substantial space will cater to approximately 2,000 learners and will require the dedication of over 100 staff members. Its educational focus is particularly pertinent to meeting burgeoning needs in advanced technologies and environmental sustainability.
Central to the facility’s mission is the provision of full-time, part-time, and apprenticeship programmes that are designed to fill critical skill gaps in the renewable energy sector and other advanced technological fields. The curriculum is crafted to support economic development while also aligning with employers’ needs for a workforce adept in new and retrofitted technological applications.
A parallel project, the £35 million Barry Waterfront Campus, has also received the official nod. This campus, geographically and strategically positioned to replace the older Barry site, is slated to open towards the end of 2026 and will facilitate educational growth for 1,000 students.
The financial structuring of these campuses is pioneering; utilising a model wherein the Welsh Government’s mutual investment approach will cover construction costs, paid back over 25 years, supplemented by Cardiff and Vale College’s own financial input, which constitutes roughly 19% of the funding. This marks the inaugural use of the mutual investment model for a college project in Wales.
The approval and funding of these advanced tech campuses manifest Cardiff and Vale’s commitment to fostering innovation and educational excellence in Wales.
