By Lawrence Wood, Principal and CEO of Telford College

We are halfway through my first year as principal and CEO of Telford College, and I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone from Telford & Wrekin for their warm welcome and willingness to meet with me, work in partnership and support the college to make the impact that is needed.

This week is Colleges Week 2025, which is an opportunity to highlight the impact colleges can have in their local communities. For Telford College there are some very exciting developments in the pipeline as we continue to broaden our academic presence in the town; highlighting how the college is playing its part in the delivery of the Government’s missions.

We are helping to kick-start the economy through partnerships with employers to deliver high quality apprenticeship opportunities in areas like construction, engineering and digital.

In addition, our work with adult learners has gone from strength to strength, supporting many to upskill or retrain and get back into employment.

We are helping to build an NHS fit for the future by collaborating with Keele University on a project which will see it setting up a new base at our Wellington campus in September to deliver a suite of nursing courses.

It is a tremendous opportunity for the college to reinforce its support for the NHS and care sector, and emphasises our partnership approach to the delivery of education and training. In addition we have just welcomed our first intake of healthcare worker apprentices on a brand new programme in partnership with the NHS.

We are breaking down barriers to opportunity by developing our provision and making it more accessible to all of the communities we serve.

Partnerships with Landau in Wellington town centre provide bespoke programmes, our specialist facilities are supporting learners with high needs at our Wellington campus, and now in partnership with Telford & Wrekin Council we are developing a specialist A level centre in the town centre.

Hoardings are up, contractors are in, and the former council office at Addenbrooke House is being completely renovated. In addition, the college is investing in improved transport services, reducing journey times and supporting learners to access the college more easily.

All of this is underpinned by working in partnership, and ensuring that Telford College is meeting the needs of the communities it serves.