Bournemouth and Poole College opens its University Centre and unveils strategic plan for decade

Bournemouth and Poole College has unveiled its new ‘Strategic Plan to 2030’ at a celebration event, setting out the college’s priorities for the next six years.  

The Strategic Plan was launched alongside the official opening of the college’s £1.2 million University Centre at the Poole campus, which saw college principal Phil Sayles and the Mayor of Poole, Councillor Pete Miles, cut the ribbon at the county’s latest degree-level education facility. The event was attended by over 60 valued guests and community leaders from Bournemouth, Poole, and Christchurch. 

The college's aspiration is to be at the core of educational delivery and economic development across the region, with a focus on creating the skilled workforce of the future. It aims to be a respected leader, partner, and contributor to life in the area, as the first-choice training partner for businesses to upskill employees, and the aspirational destination for school leavers and adult learners for Professional and Technical learning.  

Foundations for these aspirations have been laid through the provision of first-class and innovative learning experiences, which begin the college’s journey to fully-transform their campuses into world-class learning environments. This will be strengthened on the completion of the £45million pound redevelopment of the Bournemouth campus, as well as projects due for completion this summer that will deliver resources for new, industry-focused courses in Health, Engineering and an initial investment in Sustainable Construction.   

Phil Sayles, principal at Bournemouth and Poole College, said: “Bournemouth and Poole College is committed to helping the local population and businesses to thrive through providing education and training. Launching a new strategic plan that will take us up to 2030 is exciting and important. The plan builds on the college’s strengths and stature without losing sight of our dedication to student achievement, employer partnerships, and community engagement. In the next six years, the college aims to be at the very heart of educational delivery and economic development in the local area and beyond.” 

Guests attending the celebration event had an opportunity to tour the new higher education facility. University Centre Poole offers a state-of-the-art learning environment for students studying degree level qualifications. It provides flexible learning spaces, digital suites with high-specification IT, engineering research equipment, and industry-standard nursing/health training facilities. Social and study spaces are also available to allow students to meet and collaborate. 

Phil added: “It was with great pride and anticipation that we officially opened University Centre Poole in conjunction with the launch of our strategic plan towards 2030. The centre provides a dedicated base for our higher-level students and offers excellent technical facilities for learning. First-class facilities and access to the right equipment are important elements to students having a positive learning experience. By expanding our facilities and resources for education, we are better equipped to nurture the experts and leaders industry in our country needs. 

The full strategy plan can be viewed via: https://www.thecollege.co.uk/college/about-us/corporate-information/our-strategy.