A SHIPPING container restaurant could be installed next to Bradford College to give students “real work experience in a busy environment.”

The College has revealed plans to boost its hospitality training facilities by installing a new street food kitchen and seating area on a section of green space next to its David Hockney Building on Great Horton Road.

The work will also include a new entrance to The Grove – a training restaurant based in the building.

A planning application for the new facility has been submitted to Bradford Council, and says the new unit would be open on evenings and weekends as well as during College hours.

The application says the work will include a “Secured external catering unit for pizza/burger/street food.

“To promote sustainability, the structure will be made from two 20ft (6 x 2.44m x 2.6m high) containers (side by side) approximately 30sq.m including both.

“These will be used/run by the college students to gain real work experience in busy environment – providing food for staff/ students during the day as well as evening/weekend use for the public/events etc.”

It adds: “The college intends to maximise the investment in creating facilities for learners and providing training in real world environment.

“The existing land is to be excavated to create a level hardstanding area so that the external catering facilities and adjacent seating area can be accessible to all.”

A statement from the College included in the application says: “The West Yorkshire combined Authority Labour Market report 2021 highlighted strong demand for vocational skills training across a wide range of sectors. It identified that ‘Food preparation and hospitality trades’ have the highest density skills shortage vacancies (45 per cent) within Yorkshire and Humber.

“The proposed developments deliver an efficient, cost effective and sustainable solution that meet the needs of the T Levels by creating the bespoke practical teaching spaces required to support the delivery of the T Level pathways and by offering new specialist facilities that reflect the changing needs of the relevant industries.

“The creation of the new covered external dining and cooking area enables the development of the curriculum to include skills associated with external /’street-food’ and alfresco dining.

“This is linked to the existing training restaurant and supports new teaching opportunities, thus expanding the commercial/real work environment offer by offering new specialist facilities that reflect the changing needs of the relevant industries.”

A decision on the application is expected later this month.