Construction has started on a new £2.3 million skills hub in Stoke-on-Trent designed to put green and digital technologies at the heart of the local economy.
The Advanced Green Technologies (AGT) Hub, being built at Stoke on Trent College’s Burslem campus, will open in Spring 2026 and aims to equip young people, adults and apprentices with the practical skills businesses say they urgently need.
Funded through government Levelling Up money, channelled via Stoke-on-Trent City Council, the hub will deliver hands-on training in areas including retrofitting, solar energy systems, heat pumps, drone technology and robotics. Learners will be able to progress from Level 2 to Level 5 qualifications, including T Levels, with pathways into higher apprenticeships in surveying, digital modelling and advanced manufacturing.
But the project isn’t just for students. The college has built the Hub around employers’ needs, with space for businesses to collaborate, trial new ideas and even incubate projects. The ambition is to strengthen the pipeline of skilled local talent while giving firms direct access to training and innovation in one place.
Principal and CEO Hassan Rizvi said the facility would give the region a competitive edge: “Facilities like the AGT Hub will strengthen our ability to deliver career pathways in the green and digital sectors. By working closely with employers, we can train people with the exact skills businesses need to grow.”
Cllr Jane Ashworth, Leader of the City Council, said the investment would play a vital role in shaping the city’s workforce: “This Hub gives local people the chance to train for high-quality jobs in the sectors that will define the future economy.”
For local firms, the Hub represents a new opportunity to get involved in shaping skills and accessing a future workforce trained in the technologies that are transforming construction and engineering.
