Work should soon start on the island’s new home of post-16 education at Les Ozouets with Jersey firm Rok Limited being awarded the contract to build it.
The company had already won the tender to demolish the old St Peter Port Secondary School and to ready the site for the new development.
Today, Education, Sport, and Culture has confirmed that Rok Limited has also been awarded the construction contract, “following a competitive RIBA tender process”.
The new development will ultimately include The Guernsey Institute and the Sixth Form Centre with sports facilities. But due to financial pressures, the States have already said the work can’t be done in one go.
Instead, Phase One of the project will see The Guernsey Institute’s new facilities built, with the new Sixth Form Centre and sports facilities consigned to Phase Two.
Work on Phase One will “begin imminently, with the construction of the main building, and construction and engineering building”, said ESC.
Those two buildings will both be linked to the existing Princess Royal Centre for Performing Arts – which will remain open throughout the construction work.
That £66.6million part of the project should be Spring 2027.
Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, said once it is all developed, Les Ozouets Campus will be a centre of excellence for post-16 academic, technical, vocational and professional learning.
“Finally, we’re getting underway with delivering fit-for-purpose, modern facilities,” she said.
“For too long some of our young students, particularly those in vocational and technical education, have been taught in facilities that are well past their best.
“It has been 30 years since the need for a modern, new further education campus was identified to provide an adult learning environment where our teachers and students can excel in every aspect of their work.
“The States’ investment in Les Ozouets has been underpinned by a rigorous approach to ensure value for money and will return a dividend by maximising opportunities for post-16 education locally with an uplift in our skilled workforce.
“Our young people are the workers of tomorrow and we need to ensure they develop the best level of knowledge, skills and characteristics which not only make them valuable contributors to the community, but also the economy.”
The Les Ozouets Campus development is part of the Transforming Education Programme, which is working to deliver a new model of secondary and post-16 education on the island.
The Transforming Education Programme is being led by Nick Hynes, Director of Education.
“We are incredibly pleased to have received funding for the Les Ozouets Campus build, which is a pivotal next step towards properly equipping our young people with the high-quality learning environment that they deserve.
“The new development will help to realise learners’ potential and have a positive impact on their outcomes and the community as a whole.
“As the building programme progresses, we will be sharing regular updates with the community so that they can share our exciting journey prior to it opening in 2027.”
Les Ozouets campus will host around 5,000 learners each year once it is fully open.
Jacki Hughes, Executive Principal for The Guernsey Institute, said it will have a range of modern specialist facilities designed to deliver teaching and learning across the varied post-16 curriculum, including workshops, labs, specialist studios and resources which will equip learners for the skills they need in 21st century employment.
“I am so pleased that construction work is beginning at Les Ozouets Campus. The space and facilities being built will ensure learners and staff at The Guernsey Institute can do their best possible work, in an environment that reflects the workplaces of the future and further develops our high standards of education and training.
“This investment in our sector of education is significant as it represents the value TGI’s staff and lecturers add to our community as a whole by teaching Guernsey’s young people essential skills for the future.”