A COLLEGE says it is determined to carry on with plans to expand in the face of the coronavirus epidemic.

Middlesbrough College has revealed, despite the unsettling times, it is continuing to press ahead with plans to grow to make sure it can accommodate an all time high student enrolment expected in September.

Middlesbrough is the only college in the Tees Valley chosen by the Department for Education to pilot new T Levels qualifications and there are plans to work with more students and local employers than they have ever done before.

Zoe Lewis, chief executive at the college, said: “It’s a deeply unsettling time for everyone but we want you to know that Middlesbrough College continues to operate at the heart of the community. This is about looking after the future of Teesside.

“We hope these new jobs will offer opportunities for many people who find themselves recently out of work. The new jobs are a response to higher than ever student numbers across last year and next following our successes through A Levels, vocational training, apprenticeships, higher education and adult learning.

“We already have state-of-the-art facilities including our £20m Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths training centre, MC6 sixth form and Waterside Brasserie Restaurant, to name a few, but it’s not just the environment that make the success, it’s the people, and we have the best there are.

“Welcoming new members of staff will mean we can continue to deliver first-class standards of teaching and learning, helping us to produce the most employable, work ready students in the North East.”