Work begins on New Institute of Technology

Work is well underway at Plumpton College to build a new Veterinary Nursing & Therapies Centre as part of the South East Institute of Technology . The 4.4 million-pound project will redevelop the current Animal Management & Veterinary Training Centres with up-to-date specialist facilities including an Animal Education Centre, new clinical training suite designed to facilitate clinical operation, virtual dissection tables and new classrooms.  

The centre will boast new canine facilities including a hydrotherapy suite with 7m sunken hydrotherapy pool, underwater treadmill, and consultation rooms. The centre will be open to public visitors to bring their dogs into a fully commercial clinic, immersing students into real-world customer scenarios as part of their training, developing key communication and customer relationship skills.  

The centre is only one part of a wider investment programme through the Institute of Technology which have been formed across England to enhance the career and employment chances of young people and adults. The college is refurbishing its glasshouses in Horticulture, redeveloping its commercial winery modernising production facilities and enhancing audio-visual equipment in the recently opened AgriFood Centre for rural businesses.  

Deputy Principal James Hibbert shares: 

“This exciting development continues the £22m investment into our future-focussed campus.  It will transform this part of the estate to showcase modern, industry-leading practical resources and further enhances our student’s employability when they complete their studies.  

As we move towards delivery of T Level programmes at the college, we hope to continue our investment into growing our already impressive animal collection to give students the opportunity to further develop their species knowledge and practice. This could include otters, red squirrels, lemurs, meerkats, and other exotic mammals.” 

Plumpton College is the leading provider of Veterinary Nursing Training across the South East and in the top 5% of providers nationally, known for its work with employers and businesses within the veterinary sector. The college boasts excellent achievement rates, with 100% pass rate on its apprenticeship programme where students are able to combine studies with completing their licence to practice. This campus development will allow the college to continue to expand training and education within the field to offer programmes for other allied professionals within the industry.  

The new Veterinary Nursing & Therapies Centre and Institute of Technology facilities are due to open January 2025. You can visit the college at its next Open Event to find out more about careers in the land and environment sector. The college is hosting the Its first South East event for veterinary professionals – The South East Veterinary Sciences Conference early 2025.