Sizewell C to build new post-16 college for host town in Suffolk

New college for Leiston will strengthen local FE and adult training in the area and create lasting skills legacy

Plans include Apprenticeship & Trainee Hub – supporting over 500 local apprentices – and a Centre of Excellence for Sizewell C workforce

Sizewell C has announced plans to build a new post-16 college for its host town in Suffolk – a move that could transform higher education access in the area and ensure a long-term skills legacy for the region.    

The Further Education (FE) college will be delivered in partnership with Suffolk New College and will be an extension of their current local provision, known as ‘On the Coast’. It will be a permanent high-quality post-16 education facility for Leiston, which will deliver comprehensive, multi-site education and training.  

The college will be just one element of the education offering planned by Sizewell C, which will also include an apprenticeship hub and centre of excellence, and other academic and training partners will be invited to support the long-term vision for the site.  

There are three main components to Sizewell C’s plans:

College on the Coast – a new permanent FE location for Leiston, delivering technical, vocational, and academic pathways aligned to the workforce needs of Sizewell C and the wider energy, infrastructure, and engineering sectors, in partnership with Suffolk New College.

Apprenticeship & Trainee Hub – a dedicated centre for supporting up to 540 local apprentices, part of Sizewell C’s commitment to delivering 1,500 apprentices during construction.It will provide pastoral care, careers guidance, mentoring, and include facilities for outreach, employer engagement, and community use.

Centre of Excellence – purpose-built, temporary training infrastructure for SZC’s project-facing workforce, focused on ‘Right First Time’ skills in civils, mechanical, electrical and welding. The Centre of Excellence will focus on driving productivity, safety, and quality on nuclear construction projects – and will be delivered in partnership with regional academic and training partners.

For years, Leiston and the surrounding area have faced limited access to Further Education and specialist vocational training – and there are no dedicated training facilities in the area capable of supporting Sizewell C’s demands for thousands of skilled workers it needs to construct the nuclear power station.  

The new education and training facilities aim to address those challenges and transform local access to FE and training: the new plans will create a skilled, industry ready workforce in the local area, establish the region as a long-term centre of excellence in technical and vocational education, provide high-quality training pathways for young people, adults, and career changers, and embed a legacy of economic resilience for Suffolk’s businesses and communities.  

Julia Pyke, Sizewell C Joint Managing Director, said: “These new facilities will be a major step forward for education and training in a rural area of Suffolk – they will deliver skills for Sizewell C and much more. The breadth of training we are planning with a range of partners will ensure that local people can take their next steps into many different careers and sectors.  

“It will play a big part in ensuring we can create a highly skilled, homegrown workforce right here in our community, delivering thousands of jobs and apprenticeships for local people, and leaving a legacy that will offer the kind of education, training, and skills development the region needs. 

“This is what big infrastructure can do if it’s done right – and it’s a great example of how we can meet the needs of our project and the local area at the same time.”

The commitment to build the College on the Coast has been approved by the Sizewell C Board and the project will now look to advance it plans, with an aim to open the college and begin teaching in September 2027.

Alan Pease, Principal and Chief Executive Officer, Suffolk New College, said: “I’m very grateful to Sizewell C for their vision and collaboration on this project with Suffolk New College. Without their continued support, this opportunity would not be possible, and we look forward to working in partnership to support the wider educational needs of the local community in Leiston.

“The collaboration will enable us to support the local community with post-16 education for young people and adults, not only related to skills required by Sizewell C, but also more generally.

“As a community-based college, Suffolk New College already work with learners from across Suffolk, but the new campus will allow us to bring our expertise in the delivery of vocational and technical education to the local community in Leiston and its surrounding areas.

“I am excited to be working together, and I look forward to delivering a range of programmes that will allow young people and adults achieve their educational goals then move between the levels of learning leading to successful employment.’

Sizewell C already has partnerships and MOUs in place with education providers across the region to support young people to access the opportunities on the project. Last year it launched a new employability hub, Nucleus, in partnership with East Coast College, to provide employment search assistance and application and interview support to those looking to secure employment in the region.

Sizewell C also provides a £23m fund to enhance facilities and resources in local colleges, Higher Education and training providers and improve skills. And its ‘Young Sizewell C’ initiative – which aims to help raise visibility and accessibility for young people to help them gain important opportunities on the Sizewell C project and supply chain – has so far seen over 1,300 sign-ups, while 200 schools have accessed the project’s Power Up education resources. 

Leslie Hill, Mayor of Leiston-cum-Sizewell Town Council, said: “This is a true legacy benefit for our communities: as a former governor at Alde Valley Academy, I was saddened by the closure of the Sixth Form College some years ago and am excited the opportunities this new college offers local people.”

A once in a generation opportunity for East Suffolk, Sizewell C is creating thousands of new jobs, apprenticeships, and training opportunities for the region. It will invest £4.4bn in the East of England, has allocated £250m in local funding, and once operational it is expected to contribute £40m a year to the local economy and employ 900 people in high-skilled, well-paid jobs.

Ashley Shorey-Mills, Sizewell C Supply Chain Engagement Director, Said: “Maximising local opportunity isn’t just about contracts—it’s about cultivating a network of businesses, people, and partnerships that will endure. Events like the Suffolk Show bring that network to life. They remind us why we do this work and who we’re doing it for.”