Cardiff and Vale College’s state-of-the-art Advanced Technology Centre (ATC) at Cardiff Airport will encourage inward investment and provide a further boost to the £500 million the college already contributes to the Welsh economy.
Sharon James-Evans, Principal of Cardiff and Vale College, told Business News Wales that the location of the new campus would provide a strategic advantage in attracting international investment, potentially further boosting the college’s economic contribution.
The Vale of Glamorgan Council has approved the college’s planning application for the ATC. Based next to CAVC’s renowned International Centre for Aerospace Training (ICAT) at Cardiff Airport, which will continue to operate, the 13,000sqm Advanced Technology Centre will accommodate nearly 2,000 learners and more than 100 staff.
The courses at the campus will be focused on supporting economic development and meeting the skills needs of employers in advanced technologies and green skills for both the emerging renewable technologies and the retrofit skills needed to meet Net Zero Carbon targets.
The campus will include an advanced composites manufacturing facility, state of the art robotics and mechatronics labs and a “green skills house”. Students will use Virtual Reality and AI and have access to rapid prototyping, 3D metal printers and autonomous drones to support their studies. Automotive students will work with both electric and hydrogen vehicles.
As well as full time courses to give students an entry pathway into these industries, there will be apprenticeships and part-time courses providing employees and their employers the opportunity to upskill their workforce. Higher Education courses will also be offered, including courses run in collaboration with university partners.
Sharon said:
“There’s a massive opportunity in Wales to create real, sustainable, high quality jobs. We have to make sure that we develop skills so that people in our communities can access the jobs which will be created as we continue to invest in renewable energy throughout the Cardiff Capital region.
“It’s important that we not only look at young people coming through the system, but we also look at how we can support adults to advance their existing skills. For example, we’ll be looking at plumbers. Plumbers now will need to be familiar with new heat sources and new technology in that sector. Our aim is to upskill them whilst they continue to work in their existing trade.”
The college will continually horizon-scan, said Sharon, working with employers and clusters to ensure that the provision at the centre continues to address forthcoming skills gaps.
Cardiff and Vale College is also developing a new campus on Barry Waterfront. Both this and the ATC are part of the college’s plans for a £100 million investment in education and training in the Vale, which is being delivered through the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme.
Subject to Welsh Government approval of the college’s full business case, construction work is expected to begin at the ATC site in 2025, with the campus due to open in 2027. Barry Waterfront Campus is planned to open towards the end of 2026.
Cardiff and Vale College is part of the award-winning Cardiff and Vale College Group that also includes ACT Training and ALS Training. With a combined turnover of £127 million and over 30,000 learners each year, it is the largest college group in Wales and the third largest in the UK.
