NSCG Named One of England’s Four Advanced Manufacturing Excellence Colleges
Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG) has been officially named as one of just four national Advanced Manufacturing Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) in England. Following a successful bid to the Department for Education (DfE), NSCG will now take a central role in securing the UK’s skills pipeline for the Advanced Manufacturing sector.
As a designated TEC, NSCG will spearhead an employer-led programme designed to accelerate the development of a skilled advanced manufacturing workforce, highlighted as a key priority sector in the Government’s wider Industrial Strategy. Supported by a significant DfE investment, the College will focus on bridging critical skills gaps, ensuring that more young people and adults have a direct route into well-paid, highly-skilled careers.
At the heart of the proposal is the creation of a £10M, purpose-built Advanced Manufacturing Hub in Stafford, which will become a new addition to the College estate. The facility will be operational by 2028/29, and will be located adjacent to the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Institute of Technology on Castle Street to maximise efficiencies and create a powerhouse of technical expertise and resources. The curriculum will be developed around ‘frontier technologies’ that are reshaping the global economy, including:
- Automation and Robotics
- Industry 4.0 and Smart Factories
- Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing)
- Clean Energy and Low-Carbon Manufacturing
As a national hub of excellence, NSCG will bridge the West Midlands and North West manufacturing corridors. The College will work with other colleges and unite with industry giants – including GE Vernova, Hitachi, Indurent, Moog, Siemens and the Applied Materials, Research & Commercialisation Company (AMRICC) – to ensure specialist expertise and resources are shared regionally, and beyond.
The College proudly leads the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Institute of Technology (IoT), working in close collaboration with two other Institutes of Technology (Cheshire & Warrington IoT and Greater Birmingham and Solihull IoT) to amplify our collective impact. Together, we bring employers, higher education institutions and further education colleges together to deliver world-class advanced technical education in areas including engineering, manufacturing and digital. The new Advanced Manufacturing TEC will be located on the IoT site, enabling us to maximise efficiencies, share expertise and create a powerful, connected hub of technical skills and resources. Opening in 2028, the facility will strengthen our joint commitment to driving higher-level technical skills, supporting innovation, and providing clear, seamless progression routes for learners from entry level through to Level 7, across Staffordshire and the wider region and beyond.
