We are delighted to announce the opening of The Bowker Centre, our brand-new state-of-the-art animal T Level facilities at Rodbaston College, following a formal opening event on Thursday 22nd May 2025.
Thanks to a £1.15 million investment from the Department of Education, the Bowker Centre will help to ensure our students are able to learn using industry-standard equipment ensuring that they are well prepared for careers within the animal care and management sector.
Within the Bowker Centre are two multi-use high specification classrooms, a state-of-the-art technology room, an aquatics resource and a high welfare and technological advanced quarantine space.
The Bowker Centre sits within Rodbaston Animal Zone, the on-site Zoo at Rodbaston College. Rodbaston Animal Zone is home to over 750 animals from 150 species, which offers a fantastic hands-on learning resource available for our animal care students.
Dr Richard Sands, the Head of Education and Conservation at Twycross Zoo officially cut the ribbon to open the facilities with Chief Executive Principal, Claire Boliver. Richard said “Today isn’t just about opening a building, it’s the opening of a future. A future where more young people have the skills and the passion to protect our natural world, to step into industries that matter and to shape the kind of future that we all want to live in”.
Following the ribbon cutting, guests were invited to take a tour of the new facilities, led by our animal care tutors. As part of the tour, guests were able to see a live demonstration of the facilities from our T Level students. They demonstrated the anatomage table which allows users to interact with and manipulate 3D images of animal anatomy, which provides a more realistic and immersive experience for students. Guests were also able to put their communication skills into practice utilising the Body Scan Virtual Reality software and talk to our T Level students about their poster symposiums about sustainability in animal collections.
Marcus Roberts, Landbased Faculty Director at South Staffordshire College said “What began as a bold vision – a bid for Government support and belief in what we could achieve has today become a reality. It fills me with immense pride and excitement, today is the launchpad for ambition, a celebration of opportunity and the beginning of a new chapter for technical education at Rodbaston College”.
The college’s investment into the new facilities marks an exciting era for the animal care department. The cutting-edge resources will allow the college to continue offering high quality, career focused teaching.
Claire Boliver, Chief Executive Principal said “We have named the Bowker Centre after Jim a former student and then a valued employee for 27 years. He was a significant part of Rodbaston, who touched so many lives here before he sadly passed away at the start of this year, and it’s only fitting that this incredible facility stands as a lasting legacy to his memory”.
If you’d like to learn more about how you can Skill Up and Stand Out for a career in the animal care sector at South Staffordshire College why not check out our courses or come along to our next open day on Saturday 21st June.
