East Kent College has secured planning permission from Thanet District Council to build its proposed £3.3m Centre for Creative Industries.
The Centre, which will develop skills and training in digital industries and other creative sectors, secured a £1.6m government grant, plus an additional £1.7m of private funding.
Due to open its doors in January 2015 – confirm, the Centre will include an auditorium, digital media suite and music performance spaces. It will provide an important training opportunity for the area to ensure students develop a hands-on experience of working within creative industries.
The planning success follows news that the College has also secured prestigious National Skills Academy status from the Sector Skills Council for Creative and Cultural Skills, which will enable it to work with a network of partners from across the UK.
The digital sector, one of the College’s specialist areas, is rated among the fastest growing industries in the UK. Including interactive media, web development, digital broadcasting and music production, computer programming as well as video gaming, the area is rapidly expanding, particularly in East Kent.
Nick Holbrook-Sutcliffe, Director of Projects at East Kent College, said: “The new Centre will ensure our students receive up to date, relevant training preparing them for the highest level of progression in study and employment goals within this rewarding sector.
“It will offer new creative apprenticeships and delivery models as well as develop the business skills required in multifunctional, creative, roles such as marketing, finance and talent management.
“The Centre will also deliver training for professionals and high quality CPD opportunities to individuals and SME’s who need to consider up-skilling in a specific specialism. We have invested significantly in the education of people in our wider community, linking with employers and stakeholders to tackle the issues of social inequality that people face, particularly in East Kent.”
Conservative MP for South Thanet, Laura Sandys, said the grant was a “ringing endorsement” of the College and likely to be “hugely beneficial” to students and the wider community.
