Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Institute of Technology Welcomes New Managing Director

We are delighted to welcome Georgina Barnard to the Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG) senior management team, in the role of Director for the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Institute of Technology (SSIoT).

An experienced leader in further education, Georgina will be responsible for working with local employers and education providers to turn the current Institute of Technology vision in to reality.

Bringing a wealth of experience to the role, Georgina graduated from the University of Leicester with a Master’s Degree in Marketing and has undertaken senior leadership roles in both the further education sector and industry, including the last seven and a half years as Executive Director at Dudley College and Managing Director of the Black Country and Marches Institute of Technology. Georgina led the development and successful operation of the Institute which opened its doors to students in September 2021.

Georgina is now keen to use her previous experience to ensure the success of the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Institute of Technology.

Speaking of her aspirations, Georgina said: “I feel very privileged and honoured to be leading the development of the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Institute of Technology. Our Institute will offer higher technical education and training in advanced engineering and high value manufacturing, modern methods of construction, digital and health and life sciences.

Developing a technically skilled workforce and providing an even wider range of career pathways for the people of Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire is what the Institute of Technology is about. One of the greatest strengths of the Institute of Technology is the degree of collaboration involved, bringing together the further and higher education sectors, alongside local employers to shape the design of courses to ensure that we provide training to respond to the regional skills gap.”

Continued Georgina: “I’m looking forward to working with local companies large and small, other employer groups and education providers to develop our programmes. Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you want to be part of this exciting initiative.”

The SSIoT, which has a target opening date of September 2025, will bring together key industry, education and research opportunities to the county and will see employers and academia working collaboratively to widen participation in targeted areas. The consortium, led by NSCG, is supported by key education providers and employers including Keele University, Burton and South Derbyshire College, Axia Solutions, Siemens, Moog Aircraft Group, Dell, Hitachi Energy and St Modwen Logistics.

Commenting on this key appointment, Craig Hodgson, Principal and Chief Executive of NSCG said: “I am delighted to welcome Georgina to the senior team to lead the strategic direction of this exciting new venture. She joins us at an exciting phase in the development of the SSIoT and her wealth of knowledge and extensive experience will be invaluable in driving forward the launch of the Institute and the next stage of its growth. I wish her every success in the role.”

Discover more about the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Institute of Technology (SSIoT).