Career college gets go-ahead to open

THE UK’s first career college will open in Oldham in September.

Following approval by the Career Colleges Trust, the new college centre will specialise in digital industries and technologies. The trust has granted licences for only two career colleges to open this year. The other, in Liverpool, will specialise in catering and hospitality.

Oldham College’s pioneering facility aims to ensure students are both academically and practically prepared for work within technically and creatively driven industries.

The creative courses on offer to 16-18 year olds include design and development for web, fashion and textiles, game design, media, music, photography, fine art, networking and infrastructure, and software development. A GCSE curriculum for 14 to 16-year-olds will start in September 2015.

Career colleges take advantage of the Government’s decision to allow further education colleges to recruit students at 14. They combine academic and vocational studies within a specific industry specialism, with each college supported by employers who help to design the curriculum.

The Digital Career College is one element in Oldham College’s £31 million redevelopment programme.