Public’s first look at Canterbury College’s iconic new building

Canterbury College’s impressive new multi-million pound building was unveiled to the public at yesterday’s Open Day.

Hundreds of visitors to the New Dover Road campus looked around the state-of-the-art ‘A-block’ on Thursday, 5 January. They were among the first to see its four hair salons, fully functioning training spa, Veterinary Nursing, Early Years, Public Services, Sports Therapy and student recreation facilities.

Hairdressing students gave demonstrations in their industry-standard salon which will soon be open to paying members of the public. People were able to explore the new block and speak to tutors of the courses based there.

Mark Hill, Director of Business Development and Associated Services, said: “It’s the first time we have had an open evening after New Year, so we are very pleased that so many people came to see the amazing new facilities and find out about our huge range of courses, Apprenticeships and higher education options.”

The entire College was home to stands and displays showcasing over 500 courses. Academic and support staff were on hand to give talks, demonstrations, information and advice on full-time, part-time, Higher Education and Apprenticeship opportunities. Impartial advice on careers, money and travel was also available and the award winning Canterbury College Students’ Union was on hand to talk about College life.

The opening of ‘A-block’ marks the start of Canterbury College’s 65th birthday, with celebrations set to take place throughout the year.

‘A-block’ has taken just 21 months to build and was completed on time over the Christmas holidays. Students began using it when term started on Tuesday (3 January).

Its completion marked the end of the first stage of the College’s third and final phase of an ambitious redevelopment project at its New Dover Road site. Phases 1 and 2 saw the construction of two other multimillion pound buildings including the unique, street-like layout at the College entrance.

Canterbury College’s next Open Day takes on Friday, 10 February.