Construction students visit Arndale Shopping Centre development

Construction students from Sussex Coast College Hastings had the opportunity to gain an insight into a £50million pound building development earlier this year.

Students who study carpentry, bricklaying, plumbing, and painting and decorating were able to visit the new Arndale shopping centre development, The Beacon, in Eastbourne to get an understanding of everything that goes into such a large and complex development.

The students met with Senior Project Manager, Alan Quigley, who gave them an overview of the project and discussed some of the challenges that construction company Kier has faced during the design and build. The students were able to see virtual representation of the finished shopping centre, before getting the chance to look around the live build site.

Student, James Maryan said: “Our morning at the Arndale centre was very educational. We were able to tour around the construction site and get a glimpse of what the shopping centre and car park will look like once the work is finished.”

“It was fascinating to find out that the project has a 24-month time scale and it is expected to cost around £50 million pounds to complete. We were also able to get an insight into Kier, the construction company responsible for the build. They have around 225 people working on the project and recycle 97% of materials to help control costs.”

Freyan Eames, Curriculum Area Manager for Construction, said: “Visits to working sites like the Arndale are brilliant for our students. They get a real insight into the world of work and a sense of the true scale of modern construction projects. All students on construction courses at SCCH can access work experience placements with building companies during their time at college. This helps them to become better prepared and ready to start work once they have their qualification.”