Grantham College has officially opened its new energy centre which sets out to develop students' skills and “be part of a brighter future".

Principal Paul Dean welcomed visitors and the Mayor of Grantham, Councillor Graham Jeal, cut the ribbon to open the centre.

Mr Dean said: “It is a real delight to open these facilities after all of the work from our staff, suppliers and contractors. This centre will help us develop the skills of the students that are so urgently needed if we are to transition to net zero.

“Sometimes colleges have to lead and take risks and have vision for capacity to be developed. When these skills are developed, the opportunity to develop businesses is there and investing in green skills is a win win. It should not be seen as a cost but a long-term investment.

“We at Grantham college want to be a part of a brighter future, supporting energy security and the transition to net zero. It is hoped it will help solve current skills gaps but also help to inspire our students.”

The college’s existing engineering and link block spaces have been transformed to create a centre that combines engineering and construction with state-of-the-art and industry-standard equipment.

It provides new learning opportunities in electrical engineering, plumbing, gas fitting and renewable energies including solar, wind and air.

This project also extends the curriculum to not only give students more skills, but allows more businesses to work with the college.

Steven Peacock, Vice Principal of Grantham College, showed guests around the centre to give them an exclusive look into the project.

He said: “We are very delighted that the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership has funded this project. The two disciplines of construction and engineering are taken into account with a view to developing technologies and looking towards the future in terms of energies.”

With the new centre, the college offers a number of courses including levels 1 to 3 in plumbing studies, levels 1 to 3 in construction skills, as well as apprenticeships in plumbing and domestic heating and engineering fitting alongside other courses.

The centre will also offer flexible green skills boot camps including introductions to heat pump installation, solar panel installation, smart metering and more.