More details have been unveiled regarding the state-of-the-art facilities that will be available to students at a new £22.5 million centre for high-level education and training.
Building work on the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Institute of Technology is progressing at pace with a topping out ceremony expected later in the Autumn.
The centre, which is backed by public and private sector organisations, is seen as essential for providing the high-level skills that workforces will need to help businesses thrive into the future.
Led by Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG), the institute will offer industry-standard facilities and equipment for the benefit of its large number of Higher Education students, including apprentices.
It will deliver highly technical education programmes in engineering and manufacturing, modern methods of construction, health sciences and digital.
The latest details show that the new hub building in Stafford has three floors with conference facilities, a lecture theatre, its own bistro and a wide range of industry standard equipment.
The first floor will focus on engineering and manufacturing – it will have several robots together with automation and controls equipment and a product design and innovation space with a state-of-the-art 5-Axis CNC Machining Centre, 3D printers, measurement and materials testing equipment.
The second floor will focus on modern methods of construction and health sciences with a wide range of practical teaching spaces from a mock hospital ward to building information modelling (BIM) suites and surveying equipment.
The third floor will host a variety of digital spaces to include a 7m diameter virtual reality cylinder that will revolutionise and modernise the traditional classroom experience to engage students. This will be a showcase facility and immersive experience for all students and visitors.
The scheme is expected to be complete by May 2025 and ready to welcome students in September 2025. It is expected that over 3,500 students will have studied at the IoT by the 28/29 academic year.
Georgina Barnard, Director at Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire IoT, pictured above, said: “As we look to the future, the IoT will play an important role in helping people upskill and reskill in areas where employer demand is high, which will help businesses to grow and innovate.
“There is a huge demand for higher technical skills in these sectors, offering learners relevant, accessible courses is the first step to addressing the skills gap and equipping local people for a wide range of exciting and dynamic career pathways”
As a collaboration between three further education colleges and one university, the IoT will deliver a wide range of flexible post-16 technical education programmes including T Levels, Higher Technical Qualifications, Higher Apprenticeships, degrees, and professional qualifications.
The core educational delivery partners are Keele University, NSCG, Burton and South Derbyshire College and Axia Solutions, with further educational providers expected to join the partnership this Autumn.
Employer partners include Dell, Indurent, MOOG, Siemens and Hitachi.
