The launch of a new Rainham educational facility has been put back until 2014.

The East London University Technical College (ELUtec) was approved by the Department for Education in May – and had planned to open in September next year.

But due to negotiations over funding taking longer than expected, the college won’t be open in 2013.

The Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence (CEME) is the lead partner in proposals for the facility – a university technical college (UTC) – and the campus will be built on its Marsh Way site.

Architects have now been called in to draw up plans for the new part of the building.

It will offer academic and vocational training to 14 to 19-year-olds, in an attempt to address the nationwide shortage of engineering talent.

Ford and Network Rail, as well as University College London, Loughborough University and the Prospect Learning Foundation are all partners in the project - which will have 650 pupils.

CEME Chief Executive Bill Williams said: “This is not a setback, everything is on course for ELUtec to open, but we have had to put the launch back by a year.

“When we were granted the licence by the Department for Education we knew it would be a challenged to be up and running by September 2013.

“In the event, the negotiations we entered into with the department about start-up funding took longer than we expected.”

He added: “These issues have all been resolved satisfactorily now, but that hold-up meant we knew we would struggle to make a 2013 deadline.

“Our pupils will be in pole position to go on to get great jobs and excellent careers in areas where there is a shortage of top class people.”

The college will take in students from Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Newham, Redbridge and Thurrock.

Anyone interested in joining the college in 2014 can call 020 8596 5400 for more information.