A college is planning expansions to three new campuses to strengthen partnerships and improve education and employability in the region.
Dundee & Angus College has unveiled plans for facilities to house combined education, skills and support services on campuses in Dundee, Arbroath and Gardyne.
The college is considering moving its Dundee campus to the Wellgate Shopping Centre and building a campus in the town centre in Arbroath.
Meanwhile, the college hopes to expand its third campus in Gardyne to include a new STEM facility, with space for construction, engineering, and science and a green skills hub.
College leaders said that they hope the new facilities in the heart of Dundee and Arbroath will serve as “catalysts for regeneration” and attract thousands of people to the areas regularly.
Early estimates are that the building projects will cost roughly £265m.
The college is chasing several funding options, including support from the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) as part of the SFC’s Infrastructure Investment Plan for Scotland’s college campuses.
Part of the plan will involve pushing colleges towards net zero goals, and the college plans to incorporate modern environmental building techniques into the new projects.
The new Dundee & Angus College campuses will look to provide more reasons for students and families to travel to city and town centres. (Image: Dundee & Angus College)
Simon Hewitt, Principal of Dundee & Angus College, hopes that combining multiple services on the same sites will help students, businesses, and the community maximize their partnerships and the college’s resources.
“This is an amazing opportunity to build world-class facilities that are fit for the future and develop a transformational model for education and employment services located in the heart of each community we serve.
“We want to bring together partners to provide advice, support, training and skills under one roof. Every individual would have access to all of this in one place, tailored to their needs.”
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He added that the college hopes to be part of the regeneration efforts of Dundee’s city centre and Arbroath’s high street, and bringing new campuses into high-profile locations could help increase footfall.
“Not only would each new campus be modern, sustainable, fully digital environments, but they would also be right at the core of each community helping to advise, educate and train the workers that the Dundee and Angus region will need to continue its economic regeneration.”
Mr Hewitt said that the projects represent a major undertaking for the college but that they fall within its responsibility to support the local community and are in line with national targets for the college sector.
Martin Boyle, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said: “Giving students inspiring places to learn and supporting regional skills and economies is an ambition SFC shares with Dundee and Angus College.
“We are currently working with all of Scotland’s colleges to develop an Infrastructure Investment Plan which will look at all college estates development from physical, digital and net zero perspectives.
“We look forward to working with Dundee and Angus College to see how its vision fits into the national plan.”
As part of the development plan, the college’s Kingsway Campus opened in 1963, and the Arbroath campus, which dates back to the 19th century, would close.
Dundee City Council leader Mark Flynn said the project would represent a “massive investment” that would benefit both the college and the city.
"The council is working alongside a range of partners to secure improvements for the city centre to make it a vibrant location for locals and visitors alike.
“Different, creative thinking about how we use buildings and spaces is at the heart of our 30-year masterplan to reinvent central Dundee. I look forward to seeing how this prominent site develops.”
Representatives for the Wellgate Centre, where the college’s new Dundee city campus could be built, said that the centre has been hoping to increase the area’s impact by moving beyond retail use. They also welcome the college’s plans for a new learning and support campus.
Angus Council leader Bill Duff said the college's existing services to the region offer a stable platform for launching the new project.
“We are excited about the possibilities that the College’s vision will bring for students from across the whole of Angus, as well as complementing the range of redevelopment projects taking place in Arbroath already.”
The college's project was developed as part of the 2022-27 Discover Work Strategy of the Local Employability Partnership in Dundee.
While exploring funding and development possibilities, the college is also speaking with partners about bringing services to the new campuses to help transition students from courses into work.
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