Construction under way on £8.4m Nexus Learning Centre
Construction is under way on the £8.4m Nexus Learning Centre in South Tyneside aimed at boosting skills and driving the regeneration of the area.
The 33,500 sq ft training facility in South Shields, designed by Stephen George + Partners, will bring key skills and new employment opportunities into the region, providing training for more than 1,000 people working on the Metro.
The centre will contain driver training, lecture and meeting rooms, offices, staff room, canteen and changing facilities, plus an enclosed light maintenance area including train inspection pits, a platform and mock station complete with lobby and barriers.
An external 70m stretch of dual track for rail infrastructure training will be built to the west of the building, including track, track points, signalling and overhead line.
Managing director of Nexus, Tobyn Hughes, said: “This facility will transform the quality of the training that we provide to the Nexus workforce and industry partners, ensuring we keep Metro part of everyday life for the 100,000 people who use the service every day.
“It will also be the place where our diverse workforce will go to develop themselves professionally, and to work on strategies to improve what we do and how we do it.
“The site dovetails with the ongoing regeneration of South Shields town centre, which includes an entirely new Metro and bus interchange. Our new learning centre will complement this redevelopment and help to bring new opportunities to the area.”
Stephen George + Partners developed a 33,500 sq ft single building option to meet the client’s budget and maintaining the facilities’ operational and training requirements.
Alistair Branch, director at the architects, said: “We’re looking forward to continuing our work with Nexus and contractor Galliford Try Infrastructure to realise the delivery of this unique training centre and light maintenance facility.
