City of Wolverhampton College is to benefit from a share of £175 million government funding after being announced as a Technical Excellence College (TEC) for advanced manufacturing.

The college is one of 19 colleges from across the country to be awarded TEC status as part of a scheme to boost training in the advanced manufacturing, clean energy, defence and digital sectors, and one of only four to be awarded the accolade in the advanced manufacturing category.

Being awarded TEC status recognises the college's specialist training facilities and resources - including its £8.1 million Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre (ATAC) - high quality curriculum, expert staff and strong employer and industry partnerships.

Through the TEC programme, the college will act as a centre of manufacturing excellence and, through a hub-and-spoke model, will work with employers and other local training providers to share expertise, embed best practice and provide cutting-edge industry-standard training across the region.

The TEC funding will enable the college to source specialist facilities and make a significant contribution to the development of the gold standard technical education infrastructure that the government is building across England.

Louise Fall, principal and chief executive at the college, said: "Being awarded Technical Excellence Centre status for advanced manufacturing is a momentous achievement and a source of real pride for both the college and the city.

"The West Midlands is globally recognised for manufacturing excellence and TEC status will enable us to further contribute to the region's specialist skills pipeline, support innovation and work even more closely with employers to drive sustainable economic growth."

The Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre - at the college's Wellington Road campus, in Bilston - was purpose-built for engineering and automotive studies and is kitted out with a range of industry-standard equipment, including robots, laser cutters, lathes, millers, 3D printers and CAD software, as well as diagnostic equipment and a drive-in electric vehicle lab.

For details of engineering and manufacturing courses offered by the college go to www.wolvcoll.ac.uk/courses-main/engineering/