Shropshire Star

Telford colleges' merger rubber-stamped

The merger between two Telford colleges has been given the official go-ahead.

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College principal Graham Guest

Telford College of Arts and Technology, and New College have already been operating under one Telford College banner since the summer.

Now the merger has been officially rubber-stamped by the Government.

The two colleges unveiling a joint programme of courses and new identity as well as launching a ground-breaking new ‘7th Form’ – the first of its kind in the UK - to address the gap between education and the changing needs of local businesses with an enhanced A-Level programme.

Graham Guest, principal and chief executive of Telford College, said: “The two campuses have been working collaboratively for over a year, so this is simply an official endorsement of our joint working arrangements.

“Staff from the two sites have built a one-stop service for students and employers, building on the best traditions of both colleges to provide high quality education, skills and training.

"Our Haybridge Road campus has seen rapid progress over the past year, reflected in an improved rating from Ofsted. We also celebrated our best ever GCSE English and maths results this summer and enrolment numbers for courses which started in September were significantly higher than the previous year.

“This merger is about building on all of these successes, and meeting the needs of local businesses. We have been working closely with big employers, as well as UK universities, to shape our new-look curriculum.

“This has been a time of huge change at both colleges, and I’d like to say a big thank-you to the staff for the way in which they have responded, and risen to the challenge. It is an exciting time for further education. With the new waves of investment currently coming into our region, it’s vital that we work together to help create a workforce with strong academic, vocational and employability skills.”

The new 7th Form, which will welcome its first students in September 2018, blends the A-levels of a traditional sixth form with combined vocational courses offering career routes into industries including childcare, computing, engineering, health and social care, sport, law and politics.