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Congratulations to our students
Over 120 of our students at the University Centre Hastings are graduating this summer, well-prepared by their time here to contribute to society and their chosen professions.
They will join over 50,000 active University of Brighton alumni in the Brighton global community.
There are great reasons for graduates to make sure we have the right contact details to stay in touch. Postgraduate study can extend your skills and qualifications, the Careers Centre advice service is offering internship opportunities and Brighton Graduate Association is a worldwide professional and friendship network.
Your Brighton Graduate Association (BGA) membership is automatic and provides a friendship and career network linking you to alumni past and future. With over 50,000 active members worldwide, you can benefit from a range of relevant services including invitations to university events and continued access to facilities, as well as career and business advice. www.brighton.ac.uk/alumni
Postgraduate study can extend your existing skills and qualifications, support your career progression, make sure you meet professional requirements and provide rich personal development. At the University of Brighton, masters study is provided across a huge range of subjects, with flexible delivery, a strong postgraduate employment record and special graduate rates. To find the taught course or research programme that's right for you, see www.brighton.ac.uk/postgraduate.
The Careers Centre can help with career planning and job hunting, including the University of Brighton Internship Programme. Paid graduate level work will keep your skills up to date and could help you into employment at the end of it. The Employability Skills workshop gives you training in CV writing, mock interviews and other workplace related and job searching techniques. To see what roles are currently available and for more general information visit www.brighton.ac.uk/careers
Make sure we have your contact details www.brighton.ac.uk/stayintouch
Construction starts on new University Centre Hastings facility
The creation of a second set of premises for the University of Brighton's University Centre Hastings (UCH) has taken a major step forward: site demolition has been completed and construction has begun. This marks a significant milestone for higher education in the area, with the new facility scheduled to be ready for the start of the September 2011 academic year.
Demolition of the poor quality, 1960s rear extension to Hastings' Post Office has been carried out since February to make way for the new university scheme. With the final piece of the extension dismantled, McLaren Construction has now taken over as the main contractor to build the new facility.
The second UCH facility will be an impressive, twenty-first century learning environment. It will more than double the capacity of the University Centre - whose existing premises are now full - to over 1,000 student places. Over 800 of these places are already confirmed and funded.
The project is managed by Sea Space, the company set up by the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) and its partners to deliver economic development in the Hastings area.
To support the area's business community, the new facility will enable the expansion of UCH courses as well as the student population. It will incorporate a suite of laboratories and place a particular emphasis on science. New degrees will be provided in environmental biology, human biology, maths, computing, digital games production and broadcast journalism.
The development scheme involves the renovation and extension of the 1930s Post Office building in Hastings' Priory Quarter education and business district.
The new six-floor, 3,770m2 University Centre building will have its main entrance from the town's recently created Priory Square. It will complete the enclosure of this public space by adding an impressive civic façade on the south side, complementing the One Priory Square offices on the north side and a new restaurant to the east.
The Post Office will remain unchanged, in full operation on the ground floor of the building. The architecturally-notable façade will be cleaned and repaired. To create the new teaching premises, the vacant upper floors will be renovated and high quality new construction will replace the demolished rear extension, forming three sides around a central atrium. Illustrations are available.
The project is backed by funding from the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA), the University of Brighton - supported by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) - and bank financing.
Pam Alexander, Chair of the Hastings & Bexhill Task Force and CEO of SEEDA, comments: "We opened UCH only in 2003 to deliver higher education to Hastings for the first time and its success has been inspiring. The opportunities it offers to local people are a core part of the economic development programme for the area. It's heartening that the existing premises are now full, with strong links forged with the local business community. The second UCH building will meet the burgeoning demand for student places, providing new courses which increase people's skills and help them to find work. An increasingly skilled workforce is already contributing to the expansion of local businesses and attracting new companies to the area - a win-win for the people of Hastings and the local economy."
Councillor Peter Jones, Leader of East Sussex County Council, comments: "UCH has proved a big success story. Demand for places has been high and many local people have benefited from higher education, which they previously hadn't even thought was an option. By doubling student capacity with this wonderful new facility, we'll make sure an even larger proportion of the community has access to such a life-changing opportunity."