£6.3million Canvey college is open for business (From Echo)
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£6.3million Canvey college is open for business
12:00pm Friday 8th March 2013 in News
Bright and cheery - Paula Hornett, Ray Howard, Jackie Watford, Neil Bates and Stephen Castle outside the Canvey Skills Campus
STUDENTS celebrated the opening of Canvey’s colourful new £6.3million vocational college.
The Canvey Skills Campus opened its doors on the former Castle View School site, in Meppel Avenue yesterday, providing new learning opportunities for up to 300 pupils.
Youngsters across the borough will be able to study for a variety of courses at the state-of-the-art facility, gaining qualifications in bricklaying, carpentry, plumbing, hair and beauty and motor vehicle maintenance.
The college will also be providing a range of adult learning courses for the wider community which have yet to be decided, but could include arts and crafts sessions and qualifications in maths and English.
Carpentry student Charlie Hastings, 17, of Ashingdale Close, Canvey, said: “It is so great to have this building here. The facilities and equipment are so good and it’s so much easier to get to. I’m really pleased to be coming here.”
Education on the island has seen a massive boost in recent years with the completion of the £45million Cornelius Vermuyden School, in Dinant Avenue, and the £28million Castle View School in Foksville Road, in the town centre.
Funding for the new college has been provided by Essex County Council.
County councillor Stephen Castle, cabinet member responsible for Education, Lifelong Learning and the 2012 Games, said: “This has been the best part of 10 years in the making and I am very pleased to see it finally delivered. It is incredibly exciting for pupils to have this new world class facility.
“Previously it had been very difficult for youngsters on Canvey to access vocational courses, and it was really putting a lot of people off, so hopefully this will encourage more young people to take up higher learning.
“Together with the two new schools on Canvey, education on the island really has been transformed. For the first time we are starting to see pupils travelling onto the island to improve their skills and that is a real success.”
The multi-million-pound building will be run by one of south Essex’s biggest education providers, Prospects College, which already has centres in Basildon, Southend and Brentwood.
Neil Bates, chief executive of Prospects College, said: “We are so very proud to be involved in the running of this centre. I know it has been an ambition for a number of years of both Castle Point Council and Essex County Council to create facilities to meet the needs of young people after they have left school.
“This college will help many young people gain the skills and qualifications they need to find employment. It will also be a huge asset providing great opportunities to the wider community.”
Mr Bates also stressed that while the college accepts applications from all across south Essex, once the building is at capacity priority would be given to pupils on the island.
Taster sessions will be taking place during the summer holidays for prospective pupils to get a glimpse of the new building ahead of the next enrolment in September.
Comments(13)
How-ironic
says...
12:29pm Fri 8 Mar 13
Ian P wrote:Only when it suits 'Non-Islanders' hey
"Mr Bates also stressed that while the college accepts applications from all across south Essex, once the building is at capacity priority would be given to pupils on the island". Perhaps someone should make Mr Bates aware that Canvey Island is not a unitary authority but it is part of Castle Point Borough Council. This being the case I hope priority will be given to all applicants living in the Borough.
perini
says...
12:48pm Fri 8 Mar 13
So, can we assume that arson is part of the curriculum?
upset
says...
1:05pm Fri 8 Mar 13
He lied about the future needs for schools on the Island, he lied about houses not to be built on the Castle view site (which will happen) and changing the name of Furtherwich to Castle View was a disgrace.
metneyx
says...
1:17pm Fri 8 Mar 13
soul man
says...
4:25pm Fri 8 Mar 13
upset wrote:he's a councillor, an mp or anyone in that sort of position is a born liar, they tell you what you want to hear, not what you should hear, and cammeron is the biggest liar in the uk, along with all the other cronies in westminster
Why is Cllr Castle so close to the camera, has he just turned up or is he leaving, or does he think he is so important he should stand out?
He lied about the future needs for schools on the Island, he lied about houses not to be built on the Castle view site (which will happen) and changing the name of Furtherwich to Castle View was a disgrace.
soul man
says...
4:25pm Fri 8 Mar 13
upset wrote:he's a councillor, an mp or anyone in that sort of position is a born liar, they tell you what you want to hear, not what you should hear, and cammeron is the biggest liar in the uk, along with all the other cronies in westminster
Why is Cllr Castle so close to the camera, has he just turned up or is he leaving, or does he think he is so important he should stand out?
He lied about the future needs for schools on the Island, he lied about houses not to be built on the Castle view site (which will happen) and changing the name of Furtherwich to Castle View was a disgrace.
John T Pharro
says...
5:28pm Fri 8 Mar 13
upset wrote:I absolutely agree with that every single point. Just wait until the pupils arrive in their cars. Councillor Castle said, when the lack if parking was pointed out, the students would arrive by bus and bike. If you believe that try looking around Seevic.
Why is Cllr Castle so close to the camera, has he just turned up or is he leaving, or does he think he is so important he should stand out?
He lied about the future needs for schools on the Island, he lied about houses not to be built on the Castle view site (which will happen) and changing the name of Furtherwich to Castle View was a disgrace.
AndyBSG
says...
10:01am Mon 11 Mar 13
Glad to see someone is because local residents certainly aren't!
Although there was a school there before it was a secondary school so most of the pupils were within walking distance and not old enough to drive. Now it's going to be open to people of car driving age, many of whom aren't within walking distance so it doesn't take Einstein to see what's going to happen to the surrounding residential roads seeing as there is almost zero parking on site...
The building itself is also a complete eyesore. My parents used to look down the end of their road and see the Hadleigh downs... Now they see this garish multicoloured mess instead.
John T Pharro
says...
12:37pm Mon 11 Mar 13
AndyBSG wrote:When this matter was raised as I said the reply was the students will come by bus or walk. Obviously know nothing about how young people think. Any 17 year old with a car would drive it the shortest of journeys to show it off to thier mates. Plus, as I understand it, some of these lessons will be 1 or 2 day morning or afternoon so there will be an increased vehicle movement as well. I feel really sorry for the local residents and if Canvey Supply is anything to go by stand by for 4 storey flats to make the property numbers up. Castle Point Council and the mainland Councillors don't give a **** for Canvey as thier voting record shows.
"STUDENTS celebrated the opening of Canvey’s colourful new £6.3million vocational college."
Glad to see someone is because local residents certainly aren't!
Although there was a school there before it was a secondary school so most of the pupils were within walking distance and not old enough to drive. Now it's going to be open to people of car driving age, many of whom aren't within walking distance so it doesn't take Einstein to see what's going to happen to the surrounding residential roads seeing as there is almost zero parking on site...
The building itself is also a complete eyesore. My parents used to look down the end of their road and see the Hadleigh downs... Now they see this garish multicoloured mess instead.
John T Pharro
says...
12:40pm Mon 11 Mar 13
John T Pharro wrote:Amazing that d*mn is considered a swear word.
AndyBSG wrote:When this matter was raised as I said the reply was the students will come by bus or walk. Obviously know nothing about how young people think. Any 17 year old with a car would drive it the shortest of journeys to show it off to thier mates. Plus, as I understand it, some of these lessons will be 1 or 2 day morning or afternoon so there will be an increased vehicle movement as well. I feel really sorry for the local residents and if Canvey Supply is anything to go by stand by for 4 storey flats to make the property numbers up. Castle Point Council and the mainland Councillors don't give a **** for Canvey as thier voting record shows.
"STUDENTS celebrated the opening of Canvey’s colourful new £6.3million vocational college."
Glad to see someone is because local residents certainly aren't!
Although there was a school there before it was a secondary school so most of the pupils were within walking distance and not old enough to drive. Now it's going to be open to people of car driving age, many of whom aren't within walking distance so it doesn't take Einstein to see what's going to happen to the surrounding residential roads seeing as there is almost zero parking on site...
The building itself is also a complete eyesore. My parents used to look down the end of their road and see the Hadleigh downs... Now they see this garish multicoloured mess instead.
upset
says...
3:54pm Mon 11 Mar 13
John T Pharro wrote:Cant disagree with what you say John other than the Councillors dont give ****, I hope you are wrong!!!!
John T Pharro wrote:Amazing that d*mn is considered a swear word.
AndyBSG wrote:When this matter was raised as I said the reply was the students will come by bus or walk. Obviously know nothing about how young people think. Any 17 year old with a car would drive it the shortest of journeys to show it off to thier mates. Plus, as I understand it, some of these lessons will be 1 or 2 day morning or afternoon so there will be an increased vehicle movement as well. I feel really sorry for the local residents and if Canvey Supply is anything to go by stand by for 4 storey flats to make the property numbers up. Castle Point Council and the mainland Councillors don't give a **** for Canvey as thier voting record shows.
"STUDENTS celebrated the opening of Canvey’s colourful new £6.3million vocational college."
Glad to see someone is because local residents certainly aren't!
Although there was a school there before it was a secondary school so most of the pupils were within walking distance and not old enough to drive. Now it's going to be open to people of car driving age, many of whom aren't within walking distance so it doesn't take Einstein to see what's going to happen to the surrounding residential roads seeing as there is almost zero parking on site...
The building itself is also a complete eyesore. My parents used to look down the end of their road and see the Hadleigh downs... Now they see this garish multicoloured mess instead.
fruitcakegsi
says...
9:10am Tue 12 Mar 13
metneyx wrote:I could not agree more - absolute eyesore. Looks like a nuclear plant visitor centre. It does not fit in with the surrounding architecture. Have our 'designers' learned nothing from the horrible post war 'lego brick' looking skyscrapers that went up in Coventry and other cities after the WWII? Years later, looking tatty and horrible they fell into disuse. It makes me wonder what this college will look like in 20 years.
this college is a hideous eye sore. the colours of the building do not tie in with the logo or the area in which it has been built. You do not need to make a building out of lego to attract the young, its whats on offer within that counts.
Ian P says...
12:20pm Fri 8 Mar 13