Sunderland College's £29m new campus '˜will transform city centre'

The Wearside politician was invited to Sunderland College to find out more about the soon-to-be-opened £29million City Centre Campus and to meet students.

Ms Hodgson said: “Sunderland College is a huge asset to the city and the wider North East region.

“It is great to find out more about the work going into enhancing its offer, with a new campus that will deliver a state-of-the-art learning environment right at the heart of our city, and with fantastic connectivity by road, rail and Metro that will draw people from outside the city.

“This is set to be a huge boost for not only young people from Sunderland, but from beyond the boundaries of the city. Not only that, but it will transform the city centre, bringing as many as 2,000 young people – with cash to spend – to the area. Its significance cannot be underestimated.”

Principal Ellen Thinnesen said the visit provided a great opportunity to talk about the college, and the wider context in which it is operating.

She said: “The political landscape is changing very quickly and we are seeing major change in the further education sector that we are having to respond to at pace.

“That is exactly what we are doing, while delivering a consistently-high standard of education for our young people. We want to build on this, something that will be helped by having the best facilities.

“The City Campus is set to transform what’s on offer, and we are already seeing it act as a magnet, drawing students from further afield.”