The first birthday of Kirklees College’s Huddersfield Centre was celebrated with a party.

College officials and students marked the anniversary of the move to the Waterfront campus off Chapel Hill by inviting in Pulse1 DJs Danny Mylo and Rosie Madison who hosted their breakfast show live from the atrium with students and staff in the audience.

The anniversary was also marked with two open days for would-be students.

Danny and Rosie chatted to principal Peter McCann, vice principal Melanie Brooke and head of recruitment Sally Rawson live on air.

Kirklees College students Bethany Gibb and Bethany Howe with Pulse1 presenters Danny Mylo and Rosie Madison cutting the birthday cake
Kirklees College students Bethany Gibb and Bethany Howe with Pulse1 presenters Danny Mylo and Rosie Madison cutting the birthday cake

And after the show they gave a quick Q&A session for media students and had fun checking out the college’s onsite aircraft cabin used for travel and tourism courses.

In the last year students and staff have enjoyed settling into the new £74m building.

Some of the activities that have made the news since opening in September 2013 include students baking the world’s largest Jaffa cake, the Duke of York opening the centre with a tour of the facilities, hair and beauty salons hosting a national skills contest and business students winning a national enterprise award.

The Huddersfield Centre also now plays home to the new Peter Jones Enterprise Academy for budding entrepreneurs and shrewd young business people.

Hospitality and catering students benefit from five star catering kitchens, a bakery and a production kitchen. They learn first class hospitality skills as they serve customers in the Landings 72 Restaurant, set on the newly developed waterfront setting.

Last month, the college’s BTEC level 3 students celebrated as 96% passed their course; a third of these in the highest grade bracket. Many will go onto university, higher apprenticeships or start their careers in the work place with the skills they need to succeed.

College officials also revealed that there has been “a lot of interest” in the former site.

Parking at former Kirklees College, New North Road, Huddersfield
Parking at former Kirklees College, New North Road, Huddersfield

The sprawling complex off New North Road, Huddersfield, has been on the market for a year.

A college spokesman said: “There has been a lot of interest in the site. Of course, the former hospital building there is listed but the other buildings are not.

“We have also arranged a deal for the land to be used as a car park while it is on the market and it is very busy”.