A MULTI-MILLION pound higher educational facility has been officially opened.
The £12m SPACE (SERC Performing Arts, Computing and Engineering) campus at the South Eastern Regional College (SERC) in Bangor will provide high specification, bespoke accommodation for the schools of manufacturing and electrical engineering, computer and software engineering, and performing and creative arts.
The heart of the performing arts centre is the theatre around which rehearsal and production studios are located. Commenting on the new centre, Ken Webb, principal and chief executive of South Eastern Regional College, said: “The SPACE facility will provide an ideal environment in which SERC and businesses can cooperate to their mutual benefit.
“The cutting-edge skills honed here will provide a huge boost to both the local community and economy.
“The facility complements our existing vibrant conference and concert facilities and our pioneering work in arts, engineering, computing and technology.
“It will provide an innovative curriculum to fill the well recorded technical skills gaps which are needed to drive the economy forward — while helping us give students the fantastic learning experiences they so rightly deserve in this day and age.”
Opening the new facility, funded by the Department for Employment and Learning, Employment Minister Stephen Farry said: “This new resource will allow the college to build on this success and to support the continued growth, success and prestige of the Northern Ireland film industry.”
Meanwhile, the latest Labour Market Report shows a decrease in the number of people claiming unemployment-related benefits in Northern Ireland. The Labour Force Survey (LFS) measure of unemployment in Northern Ireland (NI) showed a decrease of 0.3% over the quarter to August — and indicated that the unemployment rate fell over the year by 0.1%.