In April 2022, to inform the development of the new further education centre proposals, 2,916 telephone surveys and 5 focus groups were carried out with Telford and Wrekin residents. The telephone surveys were broadly representative by age and gender with more than 90 participants from every ward.
This research focused on people’s priorities for the next 10 years:
- 72% of respondents said that opportunities for young people to get into work should be prioritised
- 23% prioritised access to high quality education.
Key themes from this consultation were that people were ambitious and wanted there to be more pathways to university and access to more vocational training opportunities. There was consensus about increasing opportunities for skills and training locally, and the need for educational facilities in the borough to keep pace with new developments.
Feedback from Telford College students who have been using Addenbrooke House in Telford Station Quarter as a temporary college base showed their support for proposals for the relocation of the Telford College sixth form offer:
"I travelled in from Wolverhampton on the train, and it’s such an easy journey - I got off the train and it was only a five-minute walk to my classroom."
"I can see studying at the Telford town centre campus appealing to people travelling in from all over Telford, Wolverhampton and Shrewsbury."
"The town centre location was really easy to access. It’s closer to where I live, and it opens up the college to more people. I can see Addenbrooke House appealing to more people as a place to study A-levels."
In addition, the 2020 Telford & Wrekin Council residents survey asked about priorities for Station Quarter and 29.1% stated that education/training facilities should be prioritised.
Engagement with wider stakeholders will continue throughout project delivery.
The project will modernise, remodel and repurpose former offices at Addenbrooke House in Station Quarter into a new further education facility for Telford College.