The Manchester College launches its journey to amazing

The Manchester College today announced its plans to create an organisation that is at the forefront of education and training in Greater Manchester.

Recent years have seen significant developments in the education and skills sector, both nationally and regionally. In Greater Manchester alone changes such as the area review, devolved government and the Northern Powerhouse have played an integral role in the region’s skills priorities and educational needs.

The launch of a new The Manchester College and ‘College 2020’, the new five year strategy, gives the college the foundations to respond to these changes. College 2020 is designed to put the college in a strong position for the future – as the best place for students to get the education and training they need to succeed in their chosen career path, as an employer of choice in the education sector, as the go-to organisation for employers looking to fill their skills gap.

Lisa O’Loughlin, Principal, The Manchester College, said: “As the largest provider of 16-19 and adult education in Greater Manchester, an important part of our mission is to inspire people from all backgrounds and change their future for the better. When our students join us they are starting on a journey. At whatever stage of their journey they are on when they join us, we will provide them with the opportunities, experiences and support they need to ensure they are work-ready when they leave us.

We need to be able to respond to the changing needs of the skills market in Greater Manchester and our new strategy will allow us put the structures in place to support the regions skills priorities. We want to provide careers, not courses, to help our students ultimately get the career they aspire to. We are here to help every student to be amazing, whatever their background.

Part of the new strategy is to move to Centres of Excellence, which will provide greater learning opportunities and environments for students, staff and employers. Through Centres of Excellence, the college can provide specialist courses to meet current and future skills shortage areas, and there are exciting plans emerging for a new campus in the heart of the city.

Lisa added: “Studying at Centres of Excellence allows students to gain an experience that connects them with professionals already working in the sector and prepares them to become part of Greater Manchester’s job market, building a workforce with the right skills to link them to the priority industries in our region.

As we start the next stage of our journey, I firmly believe the college can only grow as a major contributor to education and skills across Greater Manchester.

The new face of the college will be seen at the campuses across the city for the first time today. The new website www.tmc.ac.uk goes live today.