Times & Speaker and Lanarkshire Extra editor Martin Clark was among the press pack who visited the campus with college principal Hugh Logan and chairman of the board Ian Watson to see the progress of the development.

Planning permission was granted for the new college in April last year, heralding the first physical development at the massive regeneration site which was once the home of steel making in Lanarkshire.

And it wasn't long before the main building began to take shape and the dream of a new college to replace the 40 year-old building in Dalziel Drive was on the way to becoming a reality.

The £70 million 200,000 square feet purpose built college is scheduled for completion in July next year and staff are preparing for the change while continuing with the day-to-day running of courses at the existing building.

The steel structure, which has been contracted to Wishaw company Bone Steel, took shape quickly and the installation of the glass gave a sense of what the college vision is all about.

Mr Logan said: "It is really exciting to see the new campus progressing so quickly. The main building has a lot of glass, which will make it bright, attractive and practical."

Mr Watson added: "The new college will have state-of-the-art facilities and accommodation to meet the needs of education in the 21st century. The Board have been happy to support the massive commitment to build this new campus at Ravenscraig and are happy to see the vision take shape."

The new campus will have the most modern of facilities in the five-storey teaching block, two-storey workshop block, seven-storey residential block, and nursery facility. There will be conference facilities, a public learning centre, training restaurant, performing arts space and a job shop.

The L-shaped workshop block will accommodate the construction and engineering department and an automotive department. The seven storey residential block will provide 50 rooms, two of which will be adapted for disabled residents.

This building is cylindrical in design to resemble the former Ravenscraig structures which is a nice touch to acknowledge the heritage.

The nursery building will provide 300 placements for pre-school children, and for after school care.

There will be a plaza at the centre of the campus to provide social space for sitting and meeting, with a strong pedestrian link through the plaza to allow connection to the buildings.

Mr Clark said: "This was an interesting visit to the see the progress of the construction work and put a whole new perspective on the very impressive College development.

"When travelling along the Ravenscraig road in the past months, I have been watching the college grow with a feeling of pride for the town. However, it was a surprise to see just how vast this development is and the fantastic layout over the four floors.

"It also presented a great viewing point on the fourth floor to look out over the vista of the Ravenscraig regeneration site and visualise the many plans for the area. Motherwell College is the perfect start to the regeneration process and sets a high standard of development."