Staffordshire to Secure Advanced Manufacturing College Status Following MP Support

Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group has been designated one of just four Advanced Manufacturing (AM) Technical Excellence Colleges in England, following a campaign led by Staffordshire MPs including Gareth Snell MP. The proposal includes a purpose-built £10 million Advanced Manufacturing Hub at the college’s Stafford site, which will serve young people and businesses across the county.

As a Technical Excellence College, NSCG will act as a national hub of excellence for advanced manufacturing skills, working with employers, other colleges, and training providers across the country to raise the quality of technical education and ensure learners progress into well-paid, skilled jobs. It will operate as a shared regional asset, giving businesses and learners across Staffordshire access to cutting-edge facilities aligned with the latest manufacturing technologies.

NSCG already has 1,150 learners on advanced manufacturing programmes and works closely with 240 advanced manufacturing businesses. Over 92% of its advanced manufacturing students go on to related employment, apprenticeships, or further study, with destinations including GE Vernova, Rolls-Royce, and the Ministry of Defence. The college has back-to-back outstanding Ofsted ratings, demonstrating its strength across the board.

Gareth Snell MP for Stoke-on-Trent Central said: “NSCG is so deserving of this national recognition, which brings with it significant government investment. Creating opportunities for young people is one of my priorities as an MP, and I'm so incredibly proud to have worked with the brilliant NSCG team and other MPs to help make this happen.

“The designation will also bring significant benefits to Stoke-on-Trent’s worldrenowned advanced ceramics sector. The hub will help develop the next generation of highly skilled technicians and engineers needed by ceramics manufacturers serving global markets such as aerospace, defence, medical devices, and clean energy.”

Craig Hodgson, Principal and Chief Executive at Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, said: “The backing of MPs across Staffordshire made a huge difference. They understood what becoming a Technical Excellence College would mean for young people and local employers in this region, and they made that case powerfully.

“We share the same ambition: to make sure people growing up in Staffordshire can access skilled, well-paid careers close to home, and this is a huge step towards delivering that.”

The investment is part of the Government's wider Industrial Strategy, which puts skills and manufacturing at the heart of its plan for economic growth. The new Advanced Manufacturing Hub is expected to be operational by 2028/29. It will serve businesses and learners across Staffordshire and beyond, with NSCG working alongside a national network of colleges, providers, and employers to raise the standard of advanced manufacturing education across the country.

Every Staffordshire MP backed the bid, including: Dame Karen Bradley, Jacob Collier, Sarah Edwards, Dr Allison Gardner, Adam Jogee, Josh Newbury, Dave Robertson, Gareth Snell, David Williams, Sir Gavin Williamson, and Mike Wood, as well as Cheshire MP Connor Naismith - a strong show of cross-party support.