MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace is supporting plans for a £1.15m training college for further education students in Sittingbourne.

The Swale College For Science Technology Engineering, Technical and Catering is due to open in September after planning permission was granted to convert part of Unit 4 at Centre 2000 in St Michael’s Road.

The site will house a state-of-the-art catering and hospitality training kitchen with its own restaurant.

It will also have three hair and beauty salons with fully equipped classrooms and IT facilities on the ground floor.

The top floor will have two large laboratories for applied science courses.

Funding has come from the Department for Education.

The development is designed to increase specialist science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) provision for young people aged 16 plus.

Level two and three technical courses and apprenticeships will be offered in applied and laboratory science, food science, food and nutrition, catering and customer service and hair and beauty with customer service.

The maximum number of students on the site in any one day would be 120, with 12 full-time and five part-time staff.

The hours of use will be Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, with sessions being held until 7pm a maximum of two evenings a week. In addition, the site would open a maximum of 20 Saturdays a year between 9am and 4pm.

Principal Clayton Laker said: “This new college represents the biggest change in the options available to the young people of Swale in many years.

“It will provide access to a range of high-quality technical qualifications whilst having the convenience of being on students’ doorstep.

“It will also work closely with Swale businesses to upskill existing workforces and develop apprenticeships across a broad range of vocations.

“Enrolling on our technical training courses could lead to life-changing careers whilst at the same time feeding much needed expertise and revenue back into the local economy.”

Swale Academies Trust, which is headed by Jon Whitcombe, will run it in partnership with the Skills Centre.

Work on the conversion is expected to start in April.

To enrol, call Mr Laker on 07528 117132 or email Sarah Baker via www.swaleskillscentre.co.uk