A new Principal and CEO at Wiltshire College & University Centre takes over from Amanda Burnside on her retirement at the end of July.

Iain Hatt, current Deputy Principal Curriculum and Quality has been appointed to take up the role in August. Iain has been at the college for six years but has had senior management roles in other colleges.

Iain said: “I am genuinely excited about our future and looking forward to working with students, staff, governors and stakeholders to lead the college into the next stage of its growth and development. Skills development and retraining will sustain and promote our region as we bounce back from the pandemic, while continuing to support our students to fulfil their potential and meet future skills needs.”

Principal and CEO, Amanda Burnside, in the role for seven years, announced her retirement January. A statement said the college made significant improvements in that time, including becoming an Ofsted-rated Good college from 2015. A new campus was opened on the Chippenham site in 2015, currently benefiting from £24 million capital investment in building developments on its Salisbury and Lackham campuses.

Amanda said: “It has been a privilege to lead the College for the past seven years and to work with our brilliant staff and students. I will miss them all. but it is the right time personally for me to step down and I’m so very pleased that Iain has been appointed as the new Principal. He will be excellent in the role.”

Wiltshire College & University Centre is a Further Education provider with 13,000 students on its four campuses in Trowbridge, Salisbury, Chippenham and Lackham, its land-based campus. The college also has a motorsport centre at Castle Combe race track.

Martin Clark, Chair of Governors at the College, said: “I am delighted that governors have been able to appoint Iain as the next Principal. After a tough external recruitment process, Iain came through as the best choice for us to continue to provide the very best we can for the people and employers of Wiltshire.

“On behalf of governors I should like to offer Iain our warmest congratulations; I also thank Amanda Burnside. Over the seven years Amanda has been in the role she has transformed the college and led us to consistently deliver a very high standard of teaching and learning across the curriculum.

“Amanda has also created a very strong reputation for the college across the county as well as building excellent relationships with all our stakeholders. There is no doubt she will be missed by all at the college, but we are delighted that her work will be continued by Iain.”