THE new campus for Gloucestershire College at the Northern Quarter near Cinderford will help keep young people in the Forest, it is hoped.

Work has started on the £15 million campus to replace the ageing facility at Five Acres and it is due to open in September next year.

It is hoped the purpose-built facility will help keep the young people who will be vital for the local economy, said Gloucestershire College principal Matthew Burgess.

He said: “We are hoping the fact we have a purpose-built facility in a stunning location with a lot of new investment will encourage kids to stay in the area.

“There are significant challenges in the Forest of Dean around low attainment and low aspiration – we need a good offer to retain people and stop the drain out of the Forest of Dean.”

There have also been discussions with Dene Magna School at Mitcheldean about its plans to offer A-Levels with the possibility of using the college site.

Mr Burgess said: “We’ve always said it would be great to have a partnership and what that might turn into is that they deliver it in that space.”

He said the new college would offer a wide ranging programme of advanced courses that would lead to both employment and university.

“The college is focused on how do we get young people into their careers and that employers have the skills they need to prosper.

“We will offer all levels of provision because there is a misconception that A-Levels are the only route to university.”

The Forest campus’ principal, Sandra Tyrrell, said: “We’ve waited a long time for this – everyone who works here has a passion for what they do and what we want is state-of-the-art facilities for the kids so they feel proud about living in the Forest of Dean and staying here.”