A LEADING Skills Centre has been officially opened at Okehampton College, to encourage and enable students to access training in vocational skills.

The new building has dramatically improved the facilities available to young people studying for a BTEC or diploma in construction. The college hopes significantly to expand the range of courses on offer at the centre over the coming years.

The centre — which has been in use since late last year — was officially opened in a ceremony on Tuesday.

The ribbon was cut by chairman of Okehampton United Charities Derek Webber — the organisation gave £170,000 in funding to the centre, more than one third of the overall construction costs.

Cutting the ribbon, Mr Webber said: 'It gives me enormous pleasure to open this centre. It has been a long time coming, but let's hope it grows to embrace and welcome more and more students over the coming years.'

He later added: 'In the present age we are so short of practical trainees coming out of the system. University is not for everyone, and there needs to be a levelling out of training. We need to use all the skills that people have, in order to provide all the skills we so desperately need in this country. This centre is a very firm stride in the right direction.'

The centre provides a large central workshop, fully equipped with workbenches, tools and safety gear. There is also an ICT suite, as well as classrooms, changing rooms, showers and a kitchen for use by students.

Students' work was on display, and one diploma student, Alex Hardy, said: 'I have always known what I want to do, but this building has made it a reality.'

College principal Daryll Chapman told assembled students, staff, governors and dignitaries: 'The Skills Centre has been something we have been wanting for at least ten years. It's a really important part of the provision that we see our youngsters should have access to.

'We feel very passionately that youngsters should be walking between vocational and perceived academic subjects without giving it a second thought. Too often there is a dividing line put up between vocational and academic, and I don't think that's very healthy.

'Having this centre on the college site means youngsters can come here, do their vocational courses, and then head off to their maths or science lessons.'

Town councillor and chair of Devon County Council Cllr Christine Marsh also commented on the value of the centre's location:?'Other education bodies in Devon as a whole should take after the example set by Okehampton College. We're a rural county, and one of the biggest issues at the moment is transport.

'If young people have to travel long distances to access training, that is not right. This facility is right on the doorstep for these youngsters, and the reduction in transport time will give them more time for learning.'

The building, designed by architect Tim Capps of Oxenham Consulting Ltd, came in at a cost of £475,000 — just one third of the original estimate of £1.4-million, which would have been an unviable proposition for the college.

Alongside Okehampton United Charities, funding was provided by Devon County Council and the college's own funds.