A new £11.7m energy skills centre is set to be unveiled in Lowestoft next month.

And the team behind the opening of East Coast College's brand new Energy Skills Centre have said it will help the region stay at the forefront of the UK's growing energy and engineering industries.

Based at the Lowestoft campus of East Coast College, the state-of-the-art centre will become home to the innovative East Coast Energy Training Academy.

The new centre, which is being created thanks to an £11.7m project supported by the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership's local growth fund and the college, will combine cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art facilities to support the development of higher level technical skills and expertise in the energy, maritime and engineering sectors.

As a regional centre of excellence - with national and international specialisms - it will support the development of higher level technical skills and professional expertise, specifically in the energy, engineering, maritime and offshore industries.

The academy will work with regional and specialist employers to ensure a pipeline of highly skilled workers to meet both existing industry demands and respond to the new large scale investments planned in wind and nuclear energy.

Stuart Rimmer, chief executive of East Coast College, said: "We are extremely pleased and excited to be opening our new energy skills centre, which alongside our offshore wind skills centre demonstrates our commitment to providing this much needed provision which would not be possible with the support and finance provided from of our key partners."

Chris Starkie, chief executive of New Anglia LEP, said: "Our east coast energy cluster is world class and the potential, especially for our renewable clean energy resource, is vast. but to harness that potential, we need to ensure the industry has the skilled workforce it needs, and this facility promises to do just that."

Minister of state for local growth, Jake Berry, added: "I'm proud that our £10m investment from the government's local growth fund is supporting a new state-of-the-art Energy Skills Centre at East Coast College."

The energy skills centre's grand opening will take place on November 12.