RECORD-BREAKING numbers of school leavers and their families have visited open events at all four of Wiltshire College & University Centre’s campuses as they embark on the next step of their education journey.
But the message from college admissions staff is that it’s still not too late to apply for a course.
Almost 3,000 prospective students have visited the Chippenham, Lackham, Salisbury and Trowbridge campuses over four rounds of events to get a taste of where they could be studying in September.
“The events have given the young people and their parents the chance to explore the campus and visit the departments they are interested in,” said Director of Marketing, Admissions & Communications David West.
“People appreciate being able to come in and see the amazing facilities we have, like our new Healthcare Zone at Salisbury, Tech Trowbridge, the Robotic Dairy and Wiltshire Business Centre at Lackham and our automotive centres at Chippenham and Trowbridge, and the students can really picture themselves studying here. They need to see it to believe it and then get inspired by it – that is quite powerful.”
He said the college’s strong links with schools and the opportunity to talk to lecturers in detail about the courses on offer have been a key factor in attracting so many visitors.
The ability for families to fill in a course application form there and then at the event has also made the process smoother.
The open events have even attracted pupils yet to sit their GCSEs. “We have year 10s here because they are already thinking about where they want to study next, which is great,” said School Liaison and Admissions Manager Jo Lennon. “The good news is that applications will open in October for our 2026-27 cohort.”
She and her team enjoy sharing the excitement of the events with parents and prospective students. “I always think it’s an exciting time for the school leavers,” she said. When I go into schools I always ask if any of the pupils had a choice of which primary or secondary school they went to and very few hands go up.
“But I tell them choosing the college they’ll study at is the first time they will make a choice for themselves.”
She has two pieces of advice for anyone still thinking about their next step after school. “If you’ve already been offered a place with us but are maybe thinking again about which course you want to do, contact the admissions team, don’t apply all over again for a different course, we can make that change for you quickly and smoothly,” she said.
“Also it is not too late if you haven’t yet applied, there is still time – although our courses are filling up. You can apply online or get in touch with us for a chat about what you would like to do.”
You can apply via our website and, if you have any questions, you can contact the admissions team at admissons@wiltshire.ac.uk.
