City College Birmingham has started work on its new Aston Academy in W h i t e h e a d Road.
The beautiful new building, right at the heart of Aston, will provide high level, top quality education and training for local people.
The start of construction was marked by a ceremony attended by Sir Albert Bore, leader of the Birmingham City Council, David Cragg, executive director of the Learning and Skills Council, Simon Topman, chairman of Aston Pride, college governors and other community leaders.
City College Birmingham is at the heart of regenerating the city. It serves an inner-city catchment area that includes some of the most d i s a d v a n t a g e d wards in the country. The college has made a firm commitment to working in its neighbourhood communities and sees its role as contributing strongly to regeneration initiatives in Birmingham. It currently has more than 20 local centres, as well as its three larger campuses. When the college's work with partners and companies is included, it has provision in 200- plus different local venues.
City College is now building three Academies to add to its existing and highly successful Women's Academy in Bordesley Green.
One of the key priorities in the college's strategy is to create medium sized, multivocational centres in its neighbourhoods, in partnership with other agencies, and including provision for specific groups. It has secured funding now for the Aston Academy, Saltley Academyand Small Heath Academy.
All are being supported by combinations of Learning and Skills Council capital, European funding, SRB 5, Sure Start and regional regeneration Zone funding. The Aston Academy has been developed in consultation with Aston Pride New Deal for Communities programme, and also links with the SRB 5 and Aston Pride funded family learning centre, being created in Aston.
It will have a women only section and a mixed use section and will provide vocationally focused programmes up to level three or higher.
The college already has in excess of a thousand students from Aston, most of them being taught in community partners' premises in the area.
