A new £2 million "Skills Centre" for Newton Abbot and the Teign Valley will be officially opened on Tuesday (Feb12).

The Brunel Centre, on the Brunel Industrial Estate, has been funded by Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council.

It is run jointly by the three secondary schools serving the area – Teign School, Coombeshead Academy and Newton Abbot College.

There will be a range of vocational training areas in the new centre for the construction trades as well as a fully functioning training kitchen and restaurant for the catering students.

The restaurant is to open to the public to give the students real, hands-on experience.

Fifty local young people have already started their courses at the Brunel Centre.

The chairman of Devon County Council, Jerry Brook, will officially open the centre at 1pm.

Vyv Game, from the Templer Academy Schools Trust, said: “This is a fabulous building with excellent facilities that demonstrates how much the three schools in Newton Abbot value their students.

“It offers training in catering and construction to the highest standards in excellent surroundings and is already contributing to its community.

“This centre adds to the vocational provision offered by the three schools under the TQ12 banner. We are now looking for the funding to complete phase 2 on the site.”

Devon County Council leader John Hart said: “This new centre ensures that young people in Newton Abbot and the Teign Valley are able to enrol for locally-provided, high-quality training.

“It delivers skills that our young people need and that employers require to ensure a healthy and developing local economy.

“The Brunel Centre has come about through a real partnership between the three schools, Devon County Council and Teignbridge District Council and it’s ideally situated on the business park where the students will see at first hand the real life world of work.”

Teignbridge District Council leader Jeremy Christophers said: “It is great to see this project finally come to fruition, with the doors opening and students starting to learn new skills that will equip them for life.

“The new centre gives young people access to high quality training which will help them find long-term work.

“We are thrilled to be part of this partnership. We know how important training is, but there are also added benefits that it helps provide a pool of talented people which businesses can draw upon in the future.

“It secures jobs, contributes to the economy and brings together authorities and schools who are committed to making things happen in Teignbridge. It’s win-win.”