John Callaghan, Principal of Solihull College & University Centre, has expressed his plans of opening a brand new campus near the UK Central Arden Cross HS2 Interchange Station.
Arden Cross station will be the point at which the line from London is divided and the journeys progress to either Leeds or Manchester, stopping at a number of towns and cities on the way. The station will also have a dedicated link to Birmingham Airport.
The first phase of the construction work for HS2 has been given the go ahead with completion for this phase expected to be 2026. The Principal’s objective is to meet any higher education needs in the Arden Cross area, commenting “I would like to think we could have a presence at Arden Cross as we can offer higher education and advanced training including digital technologies. The new HS2 station is ideally located for an educational presence and we could see a new campus there at some stage.”
Talking about the HS2 project, John Callaghan continued “I’m very optimistic about HS2. I do understand it will be disruptive and we need to consider the people who will be displaced by the project but for far too long this country has been focused on the South East and if we want to re-balance the economy then we can’t do it with the current infrastructure.
“I see HS2 as a huge opportunity with the Arden Cross proposals and the Interchange in Solihull being the first stop from London.
“There is a feeling of a renaissance in the Midlands that is unique. It’s the most exciting place to be. We need to capitalise on this.”
Solihull College & University Centre currently offers a number of Higher Education and Advanced Training courses across both its Blossomfield Campus in Solihull and Woodlands Campus in Smith’s Wood. The plans to create another campus in the future would give local people the opportunity to gain new skills and progress within their careers, as well as giving businesses the chance to upskill their existing workforce and thrive in the developing Midlands region.
For more information on the courses available at Solihull College & University Centre visit the courses page or call 0121 678 7000.
