Swindon College and New College merger puts Institute of Technology plans on track

Swindon’s two further education establishments have merged – almost a year after they confirmed they would – pushing ahead plans for Swindon’s Institute of Technology.

The merger of Swindon College and New College will enable the work on the town’s new £21 million Institute of Technology to begin, bringing degree-level education to the town.

The college will continue to operate on the North Star and Queens Drive campuses, and both are continuing to accept applications from students of all ages for study from September.

The former principal and CEO of New College Swindon, Carole Kitching, will become principal and CEO of the newly merged college.

“This day of merger is a great day for Swindon and one that we should rightly celebrate. Our vision has always been to be a beacon of academic and technical excellence for the region and we will never lose sight of that,” she said.

“Access to the very best A Level, technical and professional education for residents of Swindon and the region has never been more important than in these very challenging times.

“Swindon now has a single institution offering the widest range of high-quality courses for young people and adults including employers and apprentices for more than fifty miles.

“We will be offering progression from Level 1 to Level 6 (degree level), more than 60 Apprenticeship routes, support for unemployment, re-skilling, professional and technical training and 38 A level subjects.

“The merger will enable the work on the building of the fabulous Swindon and Wiltshire Institute of Technology to commence, which will provide local access to a much wider range of degree level programmes.

“Students will have access to the very best facilities on both campuses and we are already seeing a sharp rise in applications for September.”

Martin Wyn Griffith, chairman designate of governors for the merged college, added: “I’m delighted to help steer the development of a single college for Swindon, which will offer a wide range of learning opportunities for young people and adults as well as an easier point of engagement for local businesses to provide the best training and development for their workforce.

“The merger of New College and Swindon College has been supported by our stakeholders, employers and the local community. This will ensure that Swindon gains a college fit for the 21st century.”

Merger plans were announced in October last year, with public consultation taking place during April of this year.

Swindon was chosen as one of 12 locations for the government’s new Institutes of Technology programme in April last year.

The £21m bid was led by the University of Gloucestershire, Swindon College, and New College Swindon and backed by Oxford Brookes University and Cirencester College, and by some Swindon’s biggest employers, including Nationwide, BMW Group, Catalent Pharma Solutions, Excalibur Communications and Recycling Technologies.

The Institute will offer the new T levels – the technical equivalent to A Levels – and offer more high-quality apprenticeship opportunities.