Highlands calls for new college campus by 2022

Tuesday 30 October 2018

Highlands College's facilities are "not fit for purpose" and getting in the way of the college growing and modernising, the management team have said in a call for a new state-of-the-art campus by 2022.

The island’s further education college management team have made their concerns regarding the current campus clear to the Education Department, where they describe Highlands’ buildings as outed and failing to “meet the high expectations of students”.

In a report submitted to the Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel – a board which reviews matters relating to education and schooling in Jersey – Highlands College have outlined why they need a new campus by 2022.

The report, which was authored by the college’s Principal, Steve Lewis, along with several other members of the Senior Leadership Team, puts forward their reflections on education for students over the age of 16 in Jersey - including their plans for the future of the Highlands site.

Pictured: Highlands Principal Steve Lewis co-authored the report to Scrutiny which explains the college's need for a new campus.

It reads: “Despite a programme of regular maintenance and refurbishment works, the current buildings are approaching the end of their economic life but more importantly, the learning environments are not fit for purpose and do not meet the high expectations of students.”

The college is asking for a new “purpose-built learning environment that could provide modern teaching spaces”, which will enable Highlands “to adopt new pedagogies utilising digital technology." 

The report describes the current campus as “a hindrance” to the college’s goals of providing up-to-date post-16 education to Jersey as they do not meet “current industry standards”.

Pictured: Highlands want their new campus to be a space which welcomes a more digital approach to learning.

“Developing new and improved training facilities will enable the College to expand its Apprenticeship programmes in line with needs of the business community. This ambition is currently being thwarted, particularly in technical sectors, because the existing facilities are not up to current industry standards.

“…there is also a realisation that technology plays a key role in driving productivity improvements, particularly in the way technology will affect jobs of the future. The college’s objective is to fully integrate the use of digital technologies in the delivery of curriculum and provide cutting edge vocational learning environments that are representative of modern businesses.”

The college is also asking that the "funding, design and build" of the new campus to be accelerated so that it is ready to open in 2022.

Pictured: Highlands College in its current form.

Summarising what they claimed would be the benefits of a new "purpose-built" campus, they said it would:

• "Provide a first-class education service, supporting the development of skills, creativity and life-long learning;
• Increase the performance of the local economy, encourage economic diversification and improve job opportunities for local people;
• Promote sporting, leisure and cultural activities that enrich Islanders’ lives;
• And promote Jersey’s positive international identity."

The Scrutiny Panel will review the report and make their recommendations to the Department.

Express has contacted Highlands College for comment and is awaiting a response.