A COLLEGE is moving out of one of its two Basildon locations, it has revealed.

Bosses at Seevic College have decided not to renew its lease at the Icon, in Southernhay, Basildon, when it expires at the end of this academic year.

“To Let” signs have appeared outside the site.

Instead the college will move its apprenticeships, also called business solution schemes, which have been running in the building, to its revamped main campus in Kiln Road, Thundersley, which was finished in January.

Principal Nick Spenceley: “I’m very excited to be welcoming our business solutions team to our wonderfully-redeveloped Benfleet campus.

“Having the team, with their extensive network of national contacts, based at Benfleet will be of great benefit to all learners and will help us to shortly launch an employability hub at the college.

“The hub will see all learners have greater opportunities to develop employability skills, meet employers and develop entrepreneurial skills.”

The college has been running its apprenticeships, where students go into the site one day a week, from Southernhay for about four years. Seevic offers apprenticeships in eight employment sectors – accounting, beauty therapy, business administration, customer service, childcare, health and social care, marketing and pharmacy.

It has had 97 per cent of the college’s apprenticeship employers expressing satisfaction at the level of training the young people are getting.

A typical apprenticeship will last between 12 and 18 months, with apprentices studying one day a week and spending the rest of the time doing paid work with a local employer.

As well as Seevic’smain campus, it also opened the new studio school in Church Walk House, Basildon, last year.

Mr Spenceley said the move would not affect the new college campus.

He said: “We remain fully committed to New Campus Basildon Studio School, our main operation in Basildon.”

The move will happen between July and September.