A NEW outreach centre for young adults with learning disabilities, run by a specialist college, will open in Bradford early next year.

Henshaws Specialist College in Harrogate caters for students aged from 16 to 25 with a range of disabilities. Its courses help them prepare for living independently and for employment.

Last year Bradford Council gave the college planning permission to open a new centre at Listerhills Science Park by converting two empty office units.

A centre manager has now been appointed, and work is under way to refurbish the building for an opening in early 2017.

The college had initially planned to open the centre in September but cited "unavoidable delays in planning and funding" for having to push back the opening date.

Henshaws has appointed Roxanne Stewart as manager at the centre in preparation of its opening.

She has spent the last year working for both the Open University and a school for children with special needs, and is a maths and IT teacher.

Her first task will be building relationships with Bradford businesses to find opportunities for work experience and internships within the city.

She said: “We know there is a need for specialist support for students in Bradford and I am looking forward to working with parents, carers, professionals and businesses across Bradford to ensure we offer our students the best possible opportunities to fulfil their potential.”

Students with special educational needs and disabilities be able to use the Bradford centre but they will also have access to the college’s services, including support for them and their families through the transition to adulthood and respite care and residential support where appropriate.

The outreach centre, which will create about six jobs, will help students to enhance their employability skills, with the aim of gaining long-term paid employment.

Their studies there will include an introduction to social enterprise, and students will be expected to manage their own enterprises within the centre.

Students will be able to study on an internship course, gaining essential work placement experience and pre-employment training.

For students who want to continue into further education in Bradford, there will be a development course to prepare for the next stage of their education.

Part of the centre will be used to help students gain independent living skills, such as self-care, home skills and food technology.