Doncaster rail college to close six years after opening with 40 jobs lost

The purpose-built campus near the city’s iPort rail freight terminal opened in 2017, but struggled to attract high student numbers, partly because rail engineering firms were unable to finalise apprentice numbers until HS2 contracts had been awarded.

The college was taken over by the University of Birmingham in 2021 and renamed the National College for Advanced Transport and Infrastructure.

Over 40 staff will be made redundant as a result of the closure in July, while around 170 students will be transferred to complete their training courses at other providers. The building is likely to be taken over for other further education uses.

A statement published by the college read: “A consultation, which took place from 13 February until 30 March 2023, saw the College consult on proposals to discontinue the direct delivery of learning and to explore alternative models of delivery based on collaboration with existing providers.

"This exercise sought to ensure a viable future for NCATI, as the College recognised operations could not be supported by the current business model.”

Interim principal and CEO Lowell Williams, said: “The NCATI Board, with support from the University of Birmingham, has resolved to discontinue the direct delivery of its further and higher education programmes, and to wind down the College by 31 July 2023.

“This decision follows a robust consultation process with our staff, learners, employer partners, and other stakeholders, during which we explored several different ideas and suggestions for the future of the College.

“Unfortunately, we have been unable to identify a sustainable future for NCATI as a direct deliverer of education, and therefore we have made the difficult decision to discontinue delivery of learning.

“Our first priority now is to ensure all our learners have the opportunity to complete or continue their studies. Dependent on their location, our 24 learners on study programmes will transfer to either DN Colleges Group or to South & City College Birmingham; 25 higher education learners and 38 apprentices will complete their programme with NCATI this academic year; and with the support of their employers, 81 apprentices with an end date beyond 31 July 2023 will transfer to other good quality providers.

“Sadly, this does mean that the College will now be following up voluntary severance applications received from staff during the consultation process. I envisage staff will be leaving the College in the period of May through to October 2023.

“The ESFA has expressed a desire for NCATI’s buildings to remain an asset for the FE sector and the rail industry, as originally envisaged, and we continue to work with the ESFA, City of Doncaster Council and Birmingham City Council in determining the future use of the buildings. The Board is also continuing to explore collaborative models that might be developed as a legacy to NCATI’s original mission and vision.

“On behalf of the board, I would like to say how very much we regret the outcome of the consultation process. I wish to extend my sincere thanks to all our staff for their continued professionalism, support and commitment to our learners and their fellow colleagues, in what has understandably been and will no doubt continue to be a period of uncertainty.”

The college had relied on government funding to subsidise courses, and also launched a costly legal challenge against a poor Ofsted report in 2020, which was later dropped.