Wiltshire College Chippenham’s new £21 million campus-in-the-making received a ministerial seal of approval today.

Nick Boles, Minister of State for Skills and Equalities, dropped in on the college as part of a West Country tour, and declared himself “impressed” after a tour of the new site and a get-together with college staff, students, local employers and apprentices.

He was joined by Michelle Donelan, Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate for Chippenham.

After his visit, Mr Boles said: “It was a great pleasure to visit Wiltshire College with Michelle and I was particularly impressed with the students and apprentices I met today.

“I congratulate Wiltshire College on securing this important investment and doing so much to offer young people in the county opportunities to acquire skills and experience though apprenticeships with local employers.

"This Government is determined to give young people the chance to earn a salary and gain a qualification whilst gaining valuable workplace skills and experience.”

Miss Donelan said: “Wiltshire College is offering a fantastic array of courses at an excellent standard and I was delighted to have the opportunity to highlight this to the minister.

“Under the Conservatives 2,640 people in Chippenham have benefited from apprenticeships.

"I believe that we need to focus more on promoting vocational courses and apprenticeships to our young, so that we can ensure that the labour market meets the demands of the job market.

“It is also important young people in the Chippenham constituency get the opportunities that they deserve."

The new campus is currently the biggest skills funding project nationally, built at a cost of £21.2m, with a £17.8m investment from the Skills Funding Agency.

Sitting adjacent to the existing college site on Cocklebury Road, the campus will be equipped with all the latest equipment for vocational study in construction, engineering and motor vehicle maintenance, music, media and art, hair and beauty, sports science and IT.

Wiltshire College currently works with 480 employers, providing a total of 650 apprenticeships, and among those gathered to meet the minister today were representatives of Leafield Marine, IXYS, IT Solutions and New Road Nursery, Chippenham.

Mr Boles also met engineering students and apprentices in a workshop on the existing campus, and spent time fielding questions from Toby Burton and Dan Pope, president and vice-president of the Chippenham Student Union, and Ben Saint, co-editor of the Student Speak Magazine.

Dan, 19, a second year Public Services student from Lyneham, said: “The minister did ask how the courses relate to our futures, and I was pleased I could tell him I have just landed a job – I start at the Royal Marine Commando School in Lympstone on January 26.”

Ben, 19, from Grittleton, is in the first year of a Games Development course.

He said: “It was a useful experience. He listened to our views, and shared our views, for example that students at GCSE level should be made more aware of college options.”

Amanda Burnside, acting principal of Wiltshire College, said: “The minister was particularly impressed by the students and apprentices he met, as well as the discussions he had with local employers.

"He was also very interested to hear how Wiltshire College is rapidly improving teaching and learning and the student experience across all four campuses. He commented to me on the great positivity and energy he felt during the visit to the Chippenham campus”.

“This week has been a great showcase for the new Chippenham campus.

"The topping out ceremony represented a significant step in the progress of the construction of the new campus, and Wiltshire College as a whole, and we were delighted to show off this progress to the minister.”