Mansfield’s first-ever, large-scale university centre has opened its doors to students – and was immediately hailed as a “beacon of aspiration” for local communities.

The £6.5 million Vision University Centre, at West Nottinghamshire College, has been created to improve access to higher education (HE) and plug the area’s skills gaps and productivity shortages.

Part-funded by a £2.6 million grant from the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, the flagship facility means the college can grow its already-successful HE provision and work even more closely with employers.

As well as bringing affordable higher education closer-to-home, the centre will support employers by up-skilling their workforce, with courses designed around their needs, and create more higher apprenticeships.

Currently, the college has almost 450 university-level students on courses ranging from higher national certificates (HNCs) and higher national diplomas (HNDs) to foundation degrees and full-honours degrees.

In addition, it has 100 adult learners on Access to Higher Education courses, which prepare them for higher-level study, and a further 200 students working towards professionally-certified qualifications in accounting, personnel and development, marketing, and purchasing and supply, which they study on day-release at college while in employment.

The building, at the Derby Road campus, aims to accommodate an extra 600 higher-level students over the next three years including higher apprentices and employees attending specialist one-day masterclasses and professional development programmes.

College chiefs say the centre is needed to address the traditionally low rates of people in Mansfield and Ashfield progressing to higher education, while equipping employers with the talent pool to grow their business.

According to official labour market figures, the two communities suffer from high levels of low-skilled employment and less productivity per-head, with wages lagging considerably behind other areas of the D2N2 area (Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire) and the East Midlands as a whole.

College principal and chief executive Dame Asha Khemka said: “This is a truly momentous occasion for Mansfield and Ashfield. Vision University Centre will bring higher education to people’s doorsteps like never before, while serving as a vital hub for businesses to access highly-trained talent or up-skill their current workforce.

“By inspiring people to become qualified at a higher level, we hope to bring more good-quality, well-paid jobs to the area, and boost productivity, which will benefit businesses, individuals and communities. The appetite is there – now we have the facilities to match.

“Having locally-accessible higher education has been a long-held community ambition, and bringing a large-scale university centre to Mansfield has been my mission since joining the college more than a decade ago.

“Everybody connected with the college is delighted this dream has finally been realised.

“This iconic centre will serve as a beacon of aspiration and is needed to address the traditionally low participation rates in higher education and higher-level skills.”

David Ralph, chief executive of the D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership, said: “Providing access to higher-level skills for potential employees of the area’s businesses is vital for building the economy and job numbers, allowing all communities to share in prosperity.

“That is why we are investing significant time and resources in skills and training development, including through capital investment schemes which create leading facilities such as Vision University Centre at West Nottinghamshire College.”

Spread over three floors, the 2,173 sq. m building boasts state-of-the-art facilities to rival those of major universities including a Microsoft suite, science laboratory, 100-seat lecture theatre with dual projectors, surround sound and roaming microphone; seminar room, ultra-modern study spaces with table-top HDMI connection, allowing students to bring their own portable devices into college; and teaching rooms with 75” CleverTouch screens and ‘lesson capture’ play-back capability.

Designed by Manchester-based architects IBI Group and built by Wildgoose Construction, of Alfreton, Derbyshire, the building also has a learning resource centre with self-issue book-loan library facility, IT room, large atrium which can be used as study or social space, and a top-floor outdoor terrace providing views of the surrounding countryside.

Pictured outside the centre are (from left) Simon Bustard from IBI Group, Gary Hallam from Wildgoose Construction, David Ralph, Dame Asha Khemka, director of capital projects Tom Stevens, head of HE Eleanor Taylor and chair of governors Nevil Croston.