Oldham College

 

Oldham College was established in 1893 after a donation from the Platt family, a famous textile machinery manufacturers. This led to the institution of the school of art and science in the town centre.                                

 

Today, the College offers an extensive range of qualifications in a variety of areas including digital and creative, performing arts and media, financial and professional services, sport, travel and public services, construction and the built environment, caring professions plus retail and commercial.                                                                      

 

Vocational education is more important than ever with businesses wanting to take on new staff with the right skills and knowledge to work in their sector. We work closely with employers to ensure we are providing courses and developing students in sectors that are relevant, growing and have lots of opportunities. These employers contribute to the development of our curriculum and help in other ways such as providing work experience, master classes, workshops and much more.                                                                                                                                                

We want school leavers to have a different set of choices. Vocational education is not just an extension of school. It is a completely different kind of learning, clearly focused on work, taught by industry experts, supported by specialist facilities, and having options to progress to the highest levels of expertise. We want to make this easier to understand, so that young people – and parents and teachers who advise them – can make better choices.      

 

Oldham College now has new specialist facilities in Finance and Professional Services, Digital and Creative, Health and Social Care, Early Years Education, Construction and Retail and Commercial. Each of these areas includes a very strong apprenticeship and classroom option. They all have strong employer partnerships. And results at Level 3 (A level equivalent) compares well with the best in Greater Manchester. We also have University Campus Oldham with a unique array of degree and degree level opportunities in all the Technical and Professional pathways.                    

 

In  the last 2 years we have invested £22m in our campus and are delighted to have three new buildings with state-of-the-art facilities that students can use and enjoy. Each year we welcome around 10,000 students studying over 500 full time and part time courses plus apprenticeships. We have big plans for the future and want you to be a part of this!