Plans for a new education campus in Leiston have been unveiled by Sizewell C – providing a new college and training centre for hundreds of students and apprentices.
If successful, the plans would see a new College on the Coast, Apprenticeship & Trainee Hub and Centre of Excellence built on the eastern edge of Leiston, opposite Sizewell C’s ancillary construction area.
The college would have space for 150 students, employing 20 full-time staff and providing drop-in spaces for 50 apprentices, while the Apprenticeship & Trainee Hub would support up to 540 local apprentices involved in Sizewell C’s construction.
The Centre of Excellence would deliver training for Sizewell C staff and address skills shortages in the nuclear and construction sectors.
The plans come just a day after the government announced a deal to become the primary investor for the £38bn nuclear power plant.
Julia Pyke, Sizewell C Joint Managing Director, said: “This is the start of an exciting new chapter for Leiston and the wider region. For years, people in this part of Suffolk have faced real barriers to continuing their education and training – so building an education campus right here in this town will be life-changing for thousands of local people.
“The new college will be here permanently, and we’ll be delivering it soon: courses will kick off as soon as September 2027. And we’ll be working with local partners to ensure that the Centre of Excellence delivers the kind of skills and training that the entire region needs, not just Sizewell C.
“Infrastructure projects like ours have a great opportunity to do things differently and to meet the needs of the local community in a way that will create lasting benefits for generations to come – that’s exactly what an education campus will do for people here in the east of Suffolk.”
College on the Coast will be delivered in partnership with Suffolk New College and provide education in areas including engineering, digital skills, business and logistics – with teaching hoped to begin in 2027.
Alan Pease, Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Suffolk New College, said: “We first came to Leiston in September 2018 and we said at the time that it was a great day in the history of the college.
“Now nearly eight years on, we are delighted to announce the location and design of our new Leiston training centre that will support local residents, ensuring they get the skills they need to help them progress.
“This news further extends our commitment to support those living in the east of the county and builds on the work that we have achieved at our two Suffolk New College On The Coast campuses, situated in Leiston and Halesworth.
“We are very grateful to the team at Sizewell C for their support on this and we can’t wait to get started so that we can continue to make a positive impact to those living in and around the town.”
Plans show both the college and apprenticeship hub would be combined in a single, two-storey building, designed using low carbon and natural materials while integrating with the Suffolk “black barn” style.
The plans are being displayed in full during a public exhibition in Leiston on Wednesday, July 23, before being formally submitted to East Suffolk Council in the coming months.