Colchester Institute provides first class education, professional development and technical skills training to over 8,000 young people and adults every year. The College supports individuals to launch or develop their careers, and local businesses to access the skills and talent they need to thrive. The College has two main campuses in Colchester and Braintree.

Programmes include full and part time further education courses, degrees and Apprenticeships as well as short courses for industry.

Vocational learning is an integral part of all of our courses, where the knowledge gained from practical activities with cutting edge, industry standard resources, work placements and theory provides students with strong knowledge and skills in their chosen field. Our ambition is to ensure that all students achieve the best possible results they can, giving them a competitive edge when entering employment or taking their studies to the next level.

In Colchester, we have recently transformed our main buildings to provide outstanding new facilities in a number of subject areas. We opened a 40-station new state of the art commercial hair salon and a brand-new beauty salon. In addition, we officially opened our new Early Years suite, that now supports T Level qualifications. We continue to expand our construction workshop facilities and launched a Net Zero Centre in September 2024. All of this activity follows on from opening our flagship £5m Health and Social Care facility in 2020, complete with replica clinical and care settings and immersive technologies. These developments complement our fabulous facilities for all other areas and especially Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing, Creative Media, Hospitality, Performing Arts and Art and Design.

At Braintree we completed our campus transformation programme in 2019, providing outstanding learning environments for all subject areas, including some of the very best facilities in the country for Digital Media and Engineering. Both main campuses feature a welcoming library, study zones, student services and refectory facilities to support students.

Our degree students, enrolled at University Centre Colchester enjoy their own building and facilities and study on a wide range of degrees and apprenticeships, which are also focused strongly on preparing them for work, or progression at work. University Centre Colchester has an excellent track record for its graduates gaining work or further study after their time with us.

Alison Andreas, Principal and Chief Executive

With around 8,000 students and 800 staff, Colchester Institute is one of the largest providers of general further education, higher education, and skills training in the region.

Colchester Institute is committed to meeting student and employer needs. We operate across two main campuses in Colchester and Braintree, along with a number of other focused learning sites in north Essex. Our most recent Ofsted inspection took place in May 2022, confirming what we already knew – that Colchester Institute is a Good College, in all aspects of its provision!

Through this network of delivery locations we have some of the best learning resources and facilities and resources. These include state of the art workshops, studios and equipment, with over £36million having been invested over the past ten years. Over the last 12 months, we transformed our main buildings to provide outstanding new facilities supporting Business, Accounting and Computing, and Sport and Public Services. We have opened a 40-station new state-of-the-art commercial hair salon and a brand-new beauty salon. In addition, we officially opened our new Early Years suite, which now supports T Level qualifications. We are continuing to expand our construction workshop facilities and will launch a Net Zero Centre in early 2024. At Braintree our STEM Innovation Centre and advanced Digital Media facilities offer some of the finest facilities across the country. These achievements place the Colchester Institute in a fantastic position to keep evolving and expanding in response to employer and student demand.

And this is just a flavour of the breadth of offer and facilities; we have dedicated provision and facilities for catering and hospitality, hairdressing and beauty therapy, art, design, fashion, photography, business, administration, accounting, childcare and early years, computing, IT, web design, English, maths, film, media, foundation studies, music, performing arts, sport, travel, public services, health, science and teacher training.

As well as the ability to offer bespoke courses to students and employers in specialist areas such as gas, plumbing and electrical industries, and in the areas of business, management and general staff training. We also provide part time, recreation and leisure courses, and those leading to further and higher-level qualifications and apprenticeships. For fifty years we have equipped thousands of students and employers with the skills they need to realise their aspirations and we’ve seen students of all backgrounds exceed their potential.

For fifty years we have equipped thousands of students and employers with the skills they need to realise their aspirations and we’ve seen students of all backgrounds exceed their potential. For our Higher Education programmes, we enjoy positive accredited status including Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education – Commended, and Teaching Excellence Framework award – Silver.

Our main Colchester campus is located in the heart of Britain’s oldest recorded city and Roman capital. Just a fifteen-minute walk from the main town centre, it is easily accessible by road and rail via the A12/A120 and Colchester North station, which is served by direct trains from London Liverpool Street, Chelmsford, Ipswich and Norwich.