City College Plymouth and West College Scotland are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration in response to the UK Government’s Defence Industrial Strategy. This partnership will support the development of a skilled workforce for the defence sector and contribute to national priorities for technical excellence.
The agreement confirms a shared commitment to widen access to defence technical training, align curriculum with employer expectations, and support national and international activity linked to defence skills development. This partnership directly supports the Government’s initiative to establish Defence Technical Excellence Colleges, which aim to address skills shortages and provide specialist training pathways into defence roles.
Both colleges will explore ways to share specialist knowledge, facilities, and teaching practice. This includes cooperation on curriculum design, joint professional development for staff, and coordinated engagement with defence employers, supply chain partners, and government bodies.
The collaboration provides a framework for future joint projects to enhance technical education, create clear progression routes into defence roles, and ensure consistent quality standards across programmes. 
Both colleges look forward to building on this partnership to support the needs of the defence sector while benefiting learners, employers, and communities.
