£9 million for a pioneering education centre in The Valleys (Levelling Up Fund 2)
In Blaenau Gwent, a new engineering campus for 600 young people will be built using over £9 million of Levelling Up funding. It will offer the next generation of engineers a programme of apprenticeships and industry placements in the area.
A leading engineering campus
Levelling Up funding will support the development of HiVE, an education establishment located in the Heads of Valleys region. The vision of HiVE is to equip local people with the right skills to access highly paid and highly skilled jobs. The campus will enable students to learn and experience advanced engineering from levels 1 to 6. Blaenau Gwent is an area that has faced and continues to face significant socio-economic challenges, recently ranking lowest in the latest UK Competitiveness report.
HiVE will specialise in:
- the use of augmented and virtual reality to aid design
- analysis of data in real-time
- manufacturing
There is currently no facility of this kind in the Heads of Valleys region. The funding will transform a long-vacant former factory building into a high-tech education and skills factory.
It will include:
- classrooms and study areas
- a range of workshop spaces
- state-of-the-art robotics and manufacturing equipment
Blaenau Gwent Council quoted: “In partnership with Coleg Gwent, and industry partners will bring the redundant factory building back into use, and to promote regeneration within the local community supporting the aims of the Levelling Up Initiative.”
Support for local schools
Schools across Blaenau Gwent and the Heads of the Valley primary and secondary schools will also have access to HiVE.
This will allow them to have:
- guest lectures and demonstrations
- develop STEM knowledge through project work
- access to specialist equipment and new experiences
Supporting the Tech Valleys programme
HiVE sits at the heart of the Tech Valleys programme, which aims to make the South Wales Valleys a globally-recognised centre for developing new technologies.
Find out more about Levelling Up