After years of planning, and over a year of construction, Hamble Skills Centre is almost ready to open it’s doors to the public. Hamble Skills Centre is a £6.8 million investment in our community. Young people aged 16-19 will be the first to benefit from this investment, in the future it is intended that the Centre will also provide education for adults. The Skills Centre, being located on Hamble Community Sports College’s campus, is close to Hamble railway station and bus routes to Fareham and Southampton. The Centre will serve our local area, but students from areas such as Park Gate, Swanwick, Woolston and Sholing will also find that the Skills Centre is within easy reach.

The building houses high quality facilities. There are 4 workshops, dedicated to practical courses such as Construction, Engineering and Marine Engineering. A fully kitted doctor’s consulting room and physiotherapy room will provide real working environments for Health and Social Care courses. The health and fitness diagnosis laboratory will cater for those following sports courses. The Skills Centre building is self contained with its own servery, internet café and library, which means that it will operate without students needing to visit the rest of the campus. However, students may want to use high quality sports facilities available on site. Those who study at the Skills Centre will be given membership of Hamble’s Community Sports Centre.

The Centre’s doors will open to students in September 2010. Those first students will be using brand new, industrial standard equipment in fantastic surroundings. Students at the Skills Centre will benefit from the expertise of colleges, but in a location closer to home. All courses on offer are in collaboration with neighbouring colleges. Courses will be delivered by a mixture of tutors from Eastleigh College, Hamble Community Sports College and Southampton City College. The courses have been carefully chosen to complement what is on offer at the colleges, so that students can progress onto the larger colleges if they choose to stay in education.

Hamble Skills Centre will offer a limited range of courses, in the first few years, with the intention of expanding gradually. Full time Level 1 courses will be available in Engineering, Marine Engineering, Construction and Care Studies. The building has a capacity of 178 students, but the first intake is intended to be around 60. Low numbers will create a friendly atmosphere and a personalised approach to learning. Connexions is located in the centre alongside learning support to help in planning those next steps.

Applying to follow a course at the Skills Centre is easy. Students can apply by downloading an application form from the website at http://skillscentre.hamblecollege.co.uk/ Or call 023 8045 2105 and ask for a form to be sent to you. Local Connexions advisors also have application forms.