It will have state-of-the-art facilities, creating a world class learning environment for the benefit of all students and staff at the College, as well as the local community.
Fully funded by the Department for the Economy, the new £40 million accessible to all campus forms part of a wider £85 million capital investment programme to provide two new campuses for the College, one in Coleraine, the other in Ballymena.
Both will be key drivers in the delivery of the Department’s 10X and Skills Strategies. Heron Bros is the main contractor for both projects.
Now midway through the construction phase of the development, the building has reached its maximum height and is on schedule for completion to facilitate service delivery from the new campus for the start of the 2024/2025 academic year.
It will offer a wide range of shared spaces, including a restaurant and other facilities which will be made available to local groups and community organisations for education, training, arts and recreation purposes.
David Lynn, Curriculum Area Manager for Electronic and Electrical Engineering, was among the staff to view the new campus.
“It seems to be coming along very well. The general layout is well spaced, with lots of light and will be a great asset to the town and area for years to come.”
He added that the engineering spaces were impressive and that both the teaching and circulation areas of the new campus would be a vast improvement on the College’s previous facilities.
Claire McPhee, IT Support Lead with the College’s IT Support Team was also impressed by scale of the new campus development.
“It’s hard to appreciate just how impressive the new campus is until you take a walk around it.”
Over 100 new construction jobs have been created and a further 300 sustained during the building phase of the Coleraine campus.
Along with these full-time jobs, over 1,000 weeks of employment and training is being provided through traineeships, apprenticeships and Higher Level Apprenticeships (HLAs) across a range of construction related trades.
While the new Coleraine campus is under construction, Northern Regional College continues to offer a comprehensive range of courses and business support services from its temporary location at Beresford Avenue in the town.