Northern Ireland based, McLaughlin & Harvey have announced that full construction works are underway at the £61 million Wolverhampton City Learning Quarter.

The development will create new educational facilities for City of Wolverhampton College, Adult Education Wolverhampton and Central Library. It will benefit skills and employment outcomes for residents across the city and wider region.

So far, McLaughlin & Harvey have completed enabling works such as utility diversions, welfare construction and hoarding installation. The company is currently carrying out strip-out, demolition and ground preparation works, with piling works commencing to establish the foundations for the new building.

The City Learning Quarter city centre facility will be situated around the Old Hall Street and St George's Parade area, incorporating a site on the corner of Garrick Street and Bilston Street and utilising the college's existing Metro One site.

The council initially invested in the development with further funding coming through a combination of £5m from the Towns Fund, £22m from the Levelling Up Fund and £22m from the Department for Education, plus additional government grants and contributions from the college and council.

Over a 10 year period, the college forecasts that approximately 45,000 people will benefit from learning at the City Learning Quarter and around 7,500 apprenticeships will be started.

Council Leader, Councillor Stephen Simkins, said: "It is a very proud moment to see our City Learning Quarter city centre vision becoming a reality. It will have a visible and tangible impact on the City of Wolverhampton and its residents, making a massive difference to everyday life through direct investment in skills and education - it has the potential to unlock future opportunities for all in the city. We are working hard with City of Wolverhampton College to ensure we not only deliver a vibrant education hub where we improve the city’s learning, apprenticeship and employment offers, but also that we retain our best talent, rather than losing people to different parts of the region. The new facilities will provide a vital facelift to our city centre and will be an inspirational environment for people to learn in, also offering excellent connectivity to rail, bus, tram and cycle routes. We will be creating an environment where everyone can flourish and it demonstrates the commitment this city has to investing in its citizens."

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Mal Cowgill, Principal and CEO at City of Wolverhampton College, stated: "The latest milestone in the construction of the City Learning Quarter is great news for the city, great news for the college and great news for the thousands of students and apprentices who will benefit from its first-class training facilities in the years to come. The city centre campus, along with the Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre at the Wellington Road campus in Bilston, will play a major part in driving up skills levels across the region and further position the college as a leading education provider in the West Midlands."

Stuart Anderson, MP for Wolverhampton South West, said: "This marks a significant milestone for our community. This visionary project, supported by substantial government funding, reflects our commitment to enhancing educational opportunities and fostering skills development. As the campus takes shape, it will not only rejuvenate our city centre but will also serve as a catalyst for positive change, particularly for the youth. This transformative initiative, backed by a diverse range of funding sources, ensures that Wolverhampton remains at the forefront of educational excellence. I am confident that the City Learning Quarter will leave a lasting legacy for many years to come, benefiting countless young minds and contributing to the long-term prosperity of our city. This investment in education is an investment in the future success of Wolverhampton and its residents."

Michael Kieran, McLaughlin & Harvey Construction Director, said: "We are delighted to have reached this important milestone on the Wolverhampton City Learning Quarter project. We are currently undertaking demolition and strip-out works to the existing Metro One building, as well as ground preparation works to the East and West elevations. We are also commencing piling works."