Torfaen Learning Zone set to open in January 2021

Coleg Gwent’s new state-of-the-art campus is set to open on 4th January 2021.

Torfaen Learning Zone, located next to Morrisons in Cwmbran, will open its doors in the new year.

Torfaen Learning Zone is managed and run by Coleg Gwent in partnership with Torfaen County Borough Council, the learning zone replaces three English medium school sixth forms in the borough and will be home to all A Level education in Torfaen. It will also offer the Welsh Baccalaureate and a range of complimentary level 2 and 3 qualifications, bringing further education services together under one roof for Torfaen.

With COVID-19 initially causing some uncertainty over the build of the new campus, good progress was made throughout the year and since the original announcement of the new campus was made in June 2018.

Torfaen Learning Zone from Day 1:

• In November 2018, although the foundations were well underway, we saw the ceremonial sod cutting of Torfaen Learning Zone and it was a landmark day for both Coleg Gwent and Torfaen County Borough Council.
• In September 2019, we saw the topping our ceremony to mark the important milestone in the £24 million development. A rooftop ceremony was held alongside Torfaen Council to celebrate.
• In 2020, building work was paused for a while during the lockdown period in the interest of safety which caused some initially unexpected delays. This led to the decision to base staff and learners at the Coleg Gwent Pontypool campus until a later date.
• In September 2020, the Torfaen Leaning Zone site was officially handed over to Coleg Gwent from developers which allowed staff to gain access and make arrangements for furniture and other equipment to be fitted.
• In October 2020, learners visited the site for the first time to see the finished campus before moving there in January 2021.

Principal Guy Lacey said:

We are all tremendously excited in the College about the opening of the new Torfaen Learning Zone in January. It will be an amazing place to learn and study and we can’t wait to see our students using it. It has been a long process to get here – but in January, thanks to our great partners in Torfaen, we’ll be open. The pandemic may have delayed things, but it hasn’t stopped us from getting to the goal of having an amazing new College for all the young people and adult learners of Torfaen.

Torfaen Learning Zone will be fully accessible and will include specialist facilities for pupils with Additional Learning Needs (ALN). The campus is bright, light and airy with modern amenities and facilities – an ideal environment for learning and inspiring young minds. The Learning Zone’s prime location next to the Morrisons store in the town centre is also easily accessible for learners and staff, with excellent links to public transport and local facilities.

Leader of Torfaen Council, Councillor Anthony Hunt said:

Torfaen Learning Zone will help secure a more sustainable way of delivering post 16 education in Torfaen. Our motivation as always is our learners, and making sure they will be able to access the broadest possible curriculum and quality of provision into the future.

To find out more about Torfaen Learning Zone and the courses on offer there, visit the Coleg Gwent website here.

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