West Lancashire College (formerly Skelmersdale & Ormskirk College) is a

further education Further education (often abbreviated FE) in the United Kingdom and Ireland is additional education to that received at secondary school that is distinct from the higher education (HE) offered in universities and other academic institutions. It ...

college based in

Skelmersdale Skelmersdale is a town in the West Lancashire district of England. It sits on the River Tawd, west of Wigan, north-east of Liverpool and south-west of Preston, Lancashire, Preston. In 2006, it had a population of 38,813. The town is known l ...

West Lancashire West Lancashire is a local government district with borough status in Lancashire, England. The council is based in Ormskirk, and the largest town is Skelmersdale. The district borders Fylde to the north, over the Ribble Estuary; South Ribbl ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

. The college is a part of a larger organisation called NCG.

History

Originally known as Skelmersdale & Ormskirk College, the college was originally an independently controlled institution, but was taken over by Newcastle College (now NCG) in 2007. In August 2011, the college changed its name to West Lancashire College.
/ref> The following month the college moved to a new £42.8 million campus, based near to its old demolished Northway Campus in Skelmersdale.

Present

The college currently offers a range of courses to students from the local area. These courses include Diplomas,

NVQ National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are practical work-based awards in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland that are achieved through training and assessment. The regulatory framework supporting NVQs was withdrawn in 2015 and replaced by th ...

Apprenticeship Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in a regulat ...

Access course The Access to Higher Education (HE) Diploma is a U.K. qualification which prepares students — usually 19+ — for study as an undergraduate at university. The diploma is designed for people who would like to study in higher education but who l ...

s, and as of 2023, T-Levels. The college campus contains facilities that replicate real life working environments for students to learn in. These specialised business units include hairdressing salons and beauty treatment rooms in The Hair & Beauty Lounge, which is open to the public.

Campuses

* Skelmersdale Campus, College Way, Skelmersdale The following campuses are no longer in use by the college: * Westbank Campus, Yewdale, Skelmersdale - Demolished after West Lancashire College relocated to the current Skelmersdale Campus. * Ormskirk Campus, Hants Lane, Ormskirk - Closed in 2021. * West Lancashire Construction Academy, Glebe Road, Skelmersdale - Closed after the Construction, Engineering and Logistics building opened on the main Skelmersdale Campus.

References

External links

West Lancashire College homepage

NCG homepage

College New Build 2011 Virtual Video
{{UK-edu-stub Further education colleges in Lancashire Education in the Borough of West Lancashire Ormskirk Skelmersdale