Stafford Borough Council secured £1M funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), which is part of the government’s Levelling Up agenda, and will be using it to back the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Institute of Technology (SoTSIoT) project.
Work commenced earlier this year on the £22.5M educational centre that is being constructed in the heart of the Stafford Station Gateway regeneration scheme, and is expected to attract more than 3,500 new students, with the first intake of learners scheduled for 2025.
The SoTSIoT will be located off the town’s Castle Street and will specialise in higher level technical programmes bringing together Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG) in collaboration with Keele University, Burton and South Derbyshire College and Axia Solutions, with curriculum influenced by key employer partners including; Dell, Hitachi, MOOG, Siemens and St Modwen Logistics.
Principal and Chief Executive of NSCG, Craig Hodgson, has thanked the council for supporting their vision and helping it turn into a reality, he said:
“Collaboration sits at the heart of the strategy for Institutes of Technology, and the partnership working to bring this fantastic facility to the heart of the exciting Stafford Gateway project has been nothing short of exceptional.
“We thank Stafford Borough Council for their support and can’t wait to welcome learners though our doors in 2025.”
Institutes of Technology are a £300m government backed investment designed to significantly increase the number of learners participating in higher technical education and provide the skills that businesses need both now and in the future, to support regional and national productivity.
The SoTSIoT will specialise in delivering qualifications for in demand sectors such as modern methods of construction, advanced engineering, high value manufacturing, digital and health/life sciences.
Leader of Stafford Borough Council, Aidan Godfrey, said:
“This will be a fantastic facility and forms an integral part of our ambitious Station Gateway regeneration scheme. The Institute of Technology will bring many benefits to the county town – by not only attracting new students, who will be able to enjoy an innovative learning environment, with first class facilities, but also for our local economy.”
“We are seeing significant investment in Stafford which demonstrates the confidence the government and investors have in our ability to deliver on our ambitions.
“This is all part of our ‘Project Stafford’ and, this year and next, people will see more of the plans taking shape on the journey to have a town we can be proud of.”