Telford College open day will reveal more details of new '7th Form'

The college’s Haybridge Road campus is opening its doors from 5pm to 7.30pm on November 21, to give prospective students a glimpse of what is on offer from both full and part-time courses.

Telford College of Arts and Technology and New College Telford have been trading as Telford College since the summer, and have a new identity and a united course offer for students.

Prospective students will get a taste of some of the new courses which are being offered, at the open event.

They will also discover how the new 7th Form will blend the A level offerings of a traditional sixth form with direct links to universities and mentors from local businesses, to give students viable careers destinations.

Alongside the traditional A level and combined vocational courses, the 7th Form will also offer 10 distinct career routes in leading industries, including childcare, computing, engineering, health and social care, sport, law and politics.

“Students who enrol at our 7th Form will have the confidence of knowing that leading employers and UK universities have worked with us to shape their study programme, giving the best possible start to their career,” said principal Graham Guest.

“It is vital that young people make the right choice about where they want to go – otherwise, it can be a very expensive mistake.

“Our open event is a great opportunity to talk to employers from construction to healthcare, manufacturing and electronics, demonstrating the way our courses link directly to a career.”

He added: “Traditional sixth form colleges put the emphasis on qualifications – the new 7th Form instead focuses on the skills which employers tell us they need and the career opportunities students can move into.

“This will address skills gaps in industries, open students’ minds up to new sectors and give them a clear and stress-free choice of what to study after their GCSEs.”

The 7th Form will be located to Telford College’s Haybridge Road campus as part of a £2.5 million-plus investment in learning facilities, including the virtual and augmented reality.
Mr Guest said: “The 7th Form really will be a bridge between education and careers through our university and employer partners.

“Bringing it over to the Haybridge Road site will give students the chance to benefit from the £15 million which has been spent on industry-standard training equipment and university-standard facilities over the past few years.”

More than 1,500 people attended the last Telford College open event, and the November 21 session is expected to be one of the busiest ever.