Innovation with inspiration and industry

If you haven’t seen Burnley College’s engineering department recently you’re in for a huge surprise.

To say it’s undergone a transformation is an understatement. We’ve taken it to the next level to support our growing number of learners and partners from industry as part of the Lancashire & Cumbria Institute of Technology.

We’ve needed patience and determination on the journey so far. It’s taken over 18 months to create a cutting-edge hub for technical education, with 5-axis CNC machines, a sophisticated tool management system and the latest cobots and robots in our Automation Industry 4.0 Cyber Lab.

From the start, our vision was clear: empower the North West to lead in future technologies, equip learners with career-boosting skills and build a workforce that’s ready for tomorrow’s challenges.

Today, that vision is a reality.

I’m proud to say Burnley College’s new engineering facilities are much more than a testament to our commitment to education. They’re an example of successful collaboration between academia and industry. Employers have already started using the facilities to train their teams, reverse engineer products, and create prototypes.

It’s a relationship where everyone benefits – businesses gain access to top-tier training resources, and learners get hands-on experience with real-world applications.

Seeing this vision come to life is a triumph for east Lancashire. It reaffirms our region’s position as a hub for technological advancement and manufacturing excellence.

As part of the IoT, our mission is to:

• Provide the training and facilities, working alongside employers to create the workforce of the future
• Empower learners with excellent technical education, making them career-ready
• Enable the North West to become a world leader in future technologies and manufacturing excellence.

Why not come and see all this for yourself? Contact me directly at [email protected] to arrange a personalised tour.

And, if you’re a business leader in the advanced manufacturing sector, get in touch to see how you can make use of our unrivalled equipment, collaborate with our learners and build futures and change lives together.