North West Regional College last week unveiled a £1.2m building investment programme at its Derry Road Campus.
The development comes as the college marks its 75th year in the district, and now boasts a range of newly refurbished facilities and additional new buildings to accommodate its increasing numbers of students.
The latest resources include state-ofthe- art beauty salons, a new library and learning resource centre. These new facilities are in addition to the student union and workshops for vocational training which opened previously.
Chairman of Strabane District Council, Ruairi McHugh, who is also a former student of the college, performed the official opening.
He said: “The college has been an integral part of the Strabane community for 75 years.
“It is a much-valued learning resource for the entire community and it is great to see such an impressive development of its facilities.”
Funded by both the college and the Department for Employment and Learning, the investment was completed over two phases and has developed the landscape of the campus.
The college has increased the range of courses on offer, and the total number of students enrolled so the new facilities will be welcomed.
It is also working alongside the schools within the Derg Mourne Learning Community to deliver a range of vocational training to complement their academic studies in school, and community groups to provide a range of programmes tailored to their needs.
Campus manager Angela McConnell has overseen much of the development.
She said: “It is with pride that I stand here today, as both campus manager and a local resident of Strabane district.
“I am proud of this campus which is now a focal point in Strabane district where all sectors of the community are fully integrated and engage with each other.
“Strabane campus offers quality education from a dedicated and committed team of professional and occupationally competent staff who go beyond the call of duty, offering excellent pastoral care and nurturing the students to ensure they can reach their full potential.”
Principal and chief executive Seamus Murphy commended Angela and the Strabane campus staff for their hard work in trebling the student numbers at the campus in recent years.
Mr Murphy noted that the increased student numbers led to the further investment.
“I am delighted that the quality of the new facilities now provided matches the high quality of teaching and learning available through the staff on the campus.
“I hope, also, that the range of facilities encourages even greater participation by people from the council area in accessing the range of education and training facilities available at the campus.”