Kirklees College is changing the face of Higher Education in West Yorkshire with the opening of the brand new Pioneer Higher Skills Centre in Dewsbury.
The iconic grade 2 listed building, known as Pioneer House, has been transformed as part of a multi-million-pound regeneration project in a partnership between Kirklees College, Kirklees Council and the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP).
Pioneer Higher Skills Centre is to provide facilities for apprentices, higher level skills and post-19 studies. With courses available in Art and Design, Computing and ICT, Creative and Digital Media, Hair and Beauty, Counselling, Teaching, Childhood Studies, Business and Finance, Health and Social Care; students will be able to study in 4,500 sqm. new state-of-the-art surroundings complemented by many original heritage features.
New facilities include modern classrooms, science laboratories, Learning Resource Centres, creative workshops, photography studio, IT suites, gallery, recreation areas, hair and beauty therapy salons, meeting rooms as well as a coffee shop and bistro.
Originally built for the Dewsbury Pioneers’ Industrial Society in 1878, over the years the building has been used for a variety of purposes including a library, theatre, butchers, cobblers, French polishers, cinema, and restaurant.
Opening in Summer 2020 in central Dewsbury, Pioneer Higher Skills Centre can be reached easily by public transport. It is located just 5 minutes walk from Dewsbury train station.
Part of the Dewsbury Learning Quarter, Pioneer Higher Skills Centre is part-funded through the Leeds City Region Growth Deal, delivered by the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA) and the LEP, supported by Kirklees Council, The Heritage Lottery Fund and The Dewsbury Townscape Heritage Initiative.
Roger Marsh OBE DL, Chair of the LEP, said: “The opening of Pioneer Higher Skills Centre will mark the completion of our £79 million Skills Capital investment – the largest investment in further and higher education facilities of its kind in the UK.
“Creating a globally competitive economy starts with providing world-class further education facilities and this investment through our Leeds City Region Growth Deal has allowed us to do this, not only at Pioneer Higher Skills Centre and the College’s Springfield Sixth Form Centre, but right across the City Region.
“This unprecedented, long-term investment in further education will lay the foundations for a successful future where everyone has access to the right skills and qualifications, especially for growing sectors such as digital and construction which will drive our economy forward over the next decade.”
To find out more and to have a preview inside please visit the Kirklees College YouTube channel here or email the marketing team communications@kirkleescollege.ac.uk