New College Swindon granted university centre status

A college has been granted university centre status by the government.

New College Swindon's higher education programmes have qualified for the University Centre title.

The college's higher education centre will be rebranded as New College Swindon University Centre.

Lynne Plested, vice principal, said: "For many years, we have been delivering higher education with first-class teaching and excellent facilities.

"We want to raise local aspirations and make people realise that they don't need to move or travel out of the area, or pay excessive fees, in order to gain a university-level qualification.

"Gaining this new title of University Centre highlights that New College Swindon University Centre is the provider of higher and degree level study for the town and surrounding area."

Currently, New College Swindon, including the Swindon and Wiltshire Institute of Technology, offers more than 35 university-level courses across its North Star and Queens Drive campuses.

These include a range of degrees, foundation degrees and higher apprenticeships in partnership with the University of Gloucestershire and Oxford Brookes University.

Carole Kitching, college principal and CEO, said: "Following the opening of our Swindon and Wiltshire Institute of Technology in 2021, bringing a university centre to Swindon is another important step forward when it comes to increasing and widening participation in higher education locally.

"This achievement is a sign of our commitment to deliver an innovative and responsive curriculum that meets the changing needs of individuals and employers."

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