Further Education
With six universities (all within an hours commute) delivering world class higher education to over 130,000 students, businesses located in Darlington benefit from an above average, highly skilled workforce.
The Darlington campus of Teesside University specialises in Art & Design, Computer Animation, Forensics, Health and Engineering and has recently launched two specialist degrees in Aerospace Engineering.
And to support the University's strong focus on Innovation and Business, 2015 saw the launch of The Forge, the University's national business hub. Each year the University works with hundreds of different companies providing research and innovation, consultancy, knowledge exchange, start-up incubation and mentoring and graduate placement.
> 130,000
students studying within an hours commute of Darlington (2013/2014) (Source: HESA)
> 46,000
graduates per year from Universities within an hours commute of Darlington (2013/2014) (Source: HESA)
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Specialisms
Working in close partnership with Teesside University, is Darlington College. Their state of the art learning and training environment includes a University Centre; Excellent facilities for business training; a £2m renovated construction centre and a media design centre.
With a major focus upon engineering, construction and IT, Darlington College offers Level 2 and 3 courses across a range of engineering disciplines, including machining, maintenance, fabrication and welding and advanced apprenticeships in mechanical, manufacturing electrical, maintenance, fabrication and welding engineering. Through a franchise with Teesside University Higher Education qualifications are on offer in mechanical manufacturing, electrical and mechatronics engineering.
Specialisms
Specialising in R & D, Durham University tends to work with business where they can put real life context to the research that their academics are undertaking.
Specialising in R & D, Innovation and Medicine, Newcastle University also has affiliate campuses in Malaysia and Singapore.
Comprising four faculties, Arts, Design & Social Sciences; Engineering and Environment; Business and Law, and Health and Life Sciences, Northumbria University places a great deal of focus on graduate employment, with many students choosing to take an industrial placement year during their studies. With a strong focus on STEM subjects, Northumbria Universities 'Think Physics' is an innovative, cradle to career project aimed at using physics to inspire young people, and particularly women, into STEM disciplines.
C-State
Darlington College incorporates C-State (the first subsea training centre of its type with a £5 million remotely operated underwater vehicle capability).
C-STATE offers through its partners, an extensive range of subsea courses from apprenticeships to further and higher education, and industry focused training. Trainees have unique direct, hands on access to a 200hp hydraulic ROV in a safe, controlled and cost effective environment; combined with classroom based training for all courses.
South Durham University Technical College
Due to open in 2016, the UTC will specialise in advanced manufacturing and engineering and will make a significant contribution to the ongoing vibrancy of the engineering sector in the North East.
Located just outside of Darlington in Newton Aycliffe, the South Durham UTC will provide high quality education with an emphasis on project based learning using project challenges from partner companies and hands-on engineering experience.