Bouygues UK Breaks Ground at Cardiff & Vale College

Bouygues UK has broken ground at the Barry Waterfront Campus and the Advanced Technology Centre in the Vale of Glamorgan for Cardiff and Vale College (CAVC).

The groundbreaking milestone was marked with a special event attended by partners and guests at Barry Waterfront Campus which is being built on a brownfield site in the heart of Barry’s Waterfront Innovation Quarter. It will be transformed into a state-of-the-art further education facility and community college.

Barry Waterfront Campus forms one element of the College’s £119m investment in the future of skills for the Vale of Glamorgan, working in partnership with the Vale of Glamorgan Council and Welsh Government.

The project will see two new campuses built in the Vale: a community campus in the heart of Barry Waterfront and an innovative Advanced Technology Centre by Cardiff Airport. The 6,000sqm Barry Waterfront Campus will offer a wide range of facilities and courses for young people and adults to develop new skills or progress in their careers.

The Advanced Technology Centre located at Cardiff Airport will welcome nearly 2,000 full and part-time learners and sit alongside CAVC’s acclaimed International Centre for Aerospace Training (ICAT). The new facility will feature flexible classrooms and workshops, a Higher Education Business Centre, an advanced composites manufacturing hub, state-of-the-art robotics and mechatronics labs, and a dedicated “green skills house.”

The first Net Zero Further Education project in Wales, both campuses will become truly sustainable learning environments in which thousands will learn each year, bringing substantial community and economic development benefits to the Vale. The project is being delivered through the Welsh Government’s Sustainable Communities for Learning Programme with both campuses due to open in the summer of 2027.

Delivering genuine social value is central to this project. Bouygues UK is engaging with students, upskilling the local supply chain and creating apprenticeships, training, and employment opportunities for local people. The team has so far achieved 600 individual pupil and 800 weeks of employment and training.

In partnership with Cardiff and Vale College, Bouygues UK is delivering a ‘Student Ambassador’ programme giving ten students the opportunity to have a closer look at the build of the two campuses through the construction period and play a part in their development.

“Breaking ground on these exciting and innovative builds marks the start of something truly special. Although today marks our official ground-breaking, we are proud to have made good progress including ground remediation work, concrete piles and foundations, with pre-cast cores and steel frame being the next major activity over the coming months. In the coming weeks, the steel frames will begin to rise from the ground, bringing this development to life.

“Education projects are particularly rewarding because we know they’ll benefit young people for generations to come, and we can’t wait to see students walking through these doors in 2027. Thank you to our partners for sharing this vision and helping make it a reality. Above all, our ambition is to leave a lasting, positive legacy for the local community”

Mark Cesenek, Bouygues UK’s Managing Director for Wales and the South West

“We are delighted to mark this important milestone for two new campuses that will make a real difference to the communities of the Vale of Glamorgan. These developments reflect our commitment to creating high-quality learning environments for our community and employers, as well as our drive to invest in skills for the future.

“As the builds progress, we look forward to engaging with young people, families, community groups and employers, ensuring all are part of the journey as these campuses take shape. When the doors open in September 2027, these spaces will belong to the communities they serve, delivering long-term educational, social and economic benefits for the Vale.”

Mike James, Cardiff and Vale College Group Chief Executive

“It was a privilege to attend this week’s groundbreaking ceremony at the Barry Waterfront Campus — a major milestone in bringing this ambitious project to life. This moment is the result of outstanding collaboration and commitment across the partnership, including WEPCo, Cardiff and Vale College, Bouygues UK, Meridiam, the Development Bank of Wales, our funders, and the many individuals working tirelessly behind the scenes to make it possible.

“Both the Barry Waterfront Campus and the Advanced Technology Centre campuses will play a transformative role in their communities, creating exceptional spaces for student learning, teaching, and wider community engagement for many years to come.

Christian Stanbury, WEPCo CEO