COLLEGE EXTENSION FACILITATES FIRSTCLASS PREPARATION FOR FUTURE CAREERS

In August 2021, Morgan Sindall Construction was awarded a £12.5m contract to deliver an extension at the pioneering Thomas Telford University Technical College (UTC) in Wolverhampton –a college at the forefront of providing young people in the West Midlands with a combination of excellent academic achievements alongside first-class preparation for future careers.

n August last year, the extension was successfully handed over on time and to budget despite COVID-19 delays, all thanks to a collaborative approach between teams on site.

Now officially complete, the 4500m2 extension of Europe’s largest construction education campus has created the capacity for 450 extra pupils to attend the prestigious college and will help place Wolverhampton on the map for industry careers.

The expanded sports and teaching spaces will enable the delivery of a full secondary academic syllabus, allowing pupils aged 11 to 18 years old to be taught at the UTC. Students will also study a range of technical options in the built environment, including architecture, design and innovation.

Design principals

Morgan Sindall topped out the three-storey building in the summer, before turning its attention to its work on the reconfigured and enhanced external social space and multi-use games area. The development also included a new performance space and refurbished kitchen.

The project was designed by Associated Architects, which worked closely with the main contractor to capture the historical design principals as part of the Springfield conservation project.

Sensitive to the environment

Based at the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield site, the college is situated on a historic location where a brewery dating back to the 18th century once lay. The main contractor worked carefully and closely with the council to ensure the century-old, listed walls in the Springfield conservation area were retained, as well as ensuring features of the building are in keeping with the local area, such as a sawtooth pitched roof and the use of red oxide cladding.

As a testament to the excellence of the school, two pupils from the college were also able to cut their teeth with Morgan Sindall and are heading into the second year of their T-Level qualification with important practical experience gained through the main contractor and its supply chain.

The T Levels were developed by the school’s Vice Principal, Simon Maxfield, and the Department for Education’s Construction Education Advisory Board. They feed into the college’s reputation for providing young people with a unique combination of excellent academic achievement alongside first-class preparation for future careers.

Building careers

Andre Duncan, a student from the University of Wolverhampton who worked on the development, has also been offered a graduate site manager role and is now working at the contractor’s University of Birmingham Molecular Sciences development.

Andre said: “My initial thought was to make the best opportunity that was given to me. I’d previously never had any onsite experience, so this was a great learning experience, which also aided me with my studies.” 

Social value

The successful project highlights the work outside of bricks and mortar that Morgan Sindall strives to undertake through its work giving back to the community. As part of its commitment to delivering social value, Morgan Sindall Construction exceeded its goal of four new job starts, with eight unemployed people from the area working on site. It also achieved a 75% spend through local subcontractors.

Throughout construction, donations were made to foodbank charity The Trussell Trust and money was raised for Compton Care through a charity raffle as part of its integration and support for the local community. The contractor will also supply the college’s football team with sponsored kits.

Collaborative approach

Richard Fielding, Area Director at Morgan Sindall Construction, said: “We believe the new learning and activity space will create an enhanced and more enjoyable environment and inspire the future generation of leaders in construction.

“Thanks to a collaborative approach, we were able to deliver the UTC on schedule despite supply chain shortages and I want to thank the whole team for their resilience and hard work. We also navigated the challenges of working on a historic site, and worked closely with the council to retain the listed walls in the Springfield conservation area and ensured the features of the building are in keeping with the local area.

“We were very eager to take on two T-Level students who can proudly say they played a part in the project’s delivery and we are thrilled that our work experience student from the

University of Wolverhampton has deservedly joined us as a graduate site manager. These achievements emphasise the importance of social value and is something we strive to achieve with every project.” www.morgansindallconstruction.com

The contract was awarded by the Department for Education (DfE), and the Thomas Telford MultiAcademy Trust, which operates the UTC. Funding for the UTC is from the DfE with a contribution from the City of Wolverhampton Council.

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