New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) is to start work on a Centre for Timber Technology on Skylon Park, the latest in a series of developments by Hereford’s new university project.
NMITE has appointed contractor Spellar Metcalfe to build the centre, one of three being developed on its Skylon Campus in the Hereford Enterprise Zone, which will host 600 future learners, degree apprenticeships and CPD courses.
Work is due to start following planning approval and securing £5.66m from the Government’s Local Growth Fund to progress the project.
NMITE has also secured an additional £1.6m from the Marches LEP for a Centre for Automated Manufacturing (CAM) via the Government’s Getting Building Fund (GBF).
Professor Elena Rodriguez-Falcon, President and Chief Executive, said: ”NMITE warmly welcomes this further funding which will be used to accelerate the construction and will result in more than 100 local construction jobs. The Skylon Campus is central to NMITE’s vision of transforming the way engineers learn, forever.“
Andrew Manning Cox, Chairman of the Hereford Enterprise Zone, and a Marches LEP Board Member, said: “NMITE’s new centres will be based next door to the newly transformed Shell Store business incubation hub, developing a dedicated campus combining learning, skills and enterprise leading to the creation of jobs. We’re delighted to welcome NMITE to Skylon Park and to be supporting the development of the project through the LEP directed funding.”
Cllr David Hitchiner, Leader of Herefordshire Council, said: “It is great to see NMITE’s Skylon Campus moving towards fruition. The new jobs this will create, as well as the cutting-edge learning opportunities for future learners is great news for our local economy which, like the rest of the country, is still working hard to mitigate and overcome the impact of Covid-19.”
NMITE’s ambitious plans for the Skylon Campus are due to be completed in 2022 when the three Centres will start their lives as specialised learning spaces.
