Plans for new technical college in Swindon to support defence industry
Application to bring Defence Technical Excellence College to Swindon expected soon
Swindon could soon be home to a Defence Technical Excellence College, with plans underway to equip local learners with skills to support high-technology defence industries.
Swindon North MP Will Stone revealed that he will apply for funding once the government opens applications for such colleges. There is a £182 million fund available for establishing these specialist institutions, which will focus on developing expertise in areas such as cyber, engineering, and artificial intelligence.
The potential location for the college is New College Swindon’s North Star campus. Mr Stone believes the existing site could allow teaching to begin as early as September 2024, should the proposal successfully secure funding. Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporter, he said:
“I will be making an application as soon as they open.
“I’ve also been talking to defence industry companies in Swindon and the wider area about this, and they are keen to see it happen here.
“One company is Rowden, which is based just down the road in Bristol. They want to see the skills they need to build their system developed here.”
Mr Stone emphasised that the skills developed through the college would be transferable across various industries in addition to high-tech defence, adding: “These are very transferable skills: cyber, engineering, AI. They are all used in lots of different industries.”
H2 Strong local backing
New College Swindon has expressed enthusiasm for the idea. Matt Butcher, Vice Principal for Commercial, Skills and Partnerships, said:
“It’s an exciting time for Swindon, with many innovative companies moving in, particularly in areas such as drone technology and defence.
“We welcome the opportunity to develop a centre that strengthens Swindon’s position as a hub for advanced industries.
“Our focus is on developing and retaining those higher technical skills within the local workforce, through access to industry-leading facilities and training – raising aspirations of local learners to become experts and future leaders in these fast-growing sectors.”
Butcher highlighted the college’s existing success in creating hubs for emerging industries. He noted their Green Technology Centre, which opened in October 2023, offers electric vehicle training, and their SWITCH centre uses immersive technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence to advance healthcare training.
He confirmed that New College Swindon would continue working with Will Stone and other partners to explore the best ways to support employers and learners across defence and other industries in the region.
According to Mr Stone, discussions are ongoing, and the Ministry of Education has planned a meeting with Skills Minister, Baroness Smith, to support the application process.