It’s 1991. Bryan Adams’ (Everything I Do) I Do It For You is number 1 in the charts, Boris Becker has won the Australian Open, and the most important event of them all is about to happen:
The official beginning of North Hertfordshire College (NHC) on April 1st, 1991.
NHC combined Stevenage College, Hitchin College, and Letchworth Technical College into one college group following a reorganisation of the further education landscape in Hertfordshire.
There’s been some considerable refurbishments at North Hertfordshire College in the last 35 years. These include:
In March 1997, Morrisons supermarket bought part of the land that the Letchworth campus was on to create their Letchworth Broadway store.
On the other side of the land, North Hertfordshire College opened the Goldsmith Management Centre as a venue for business meetings, conferences, and events.
Now, the Letchworth Campus has moved to the Town Hall and is used as Springboard Letchworth – a full-time course that provides support for school leavers with traits or a diagnosis of Autism.
The newly refurbished Stevenage Campus was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip in March 2003.
The visit saw them take a tour of the campus, meet with students, and enjoy a three course meal designed and prepared by Hospitality & Catering students.
In collaboration between NHC, Weldability-Sif, and The Welding Institute, Cambridge, the Skills Centre provided local students with the chance to develop construction and trades skills.
The facility was opened by then Skills Minister, John Hayes.
Fast forward to now, and the Skills Centre is now named the Engineering & Construction Campus.
The new campus opened on the existing Hitchin Road site, combining courses previously delivered at the Centre for the Arts campus. The new building brought together a range of curriculums into one space, providing a state-of-the-art learning environment for students.
The campus has continued to develop and add new facilities to meet student and labour needs, including:
October 2022: NHC Sports Hub launched.
March 2025: On-campus film production space Purwell Studios created.
North Hertfordshire College continues to grow, develop, and evolve. It’s an exciting time to be part of the North Hertfordshire College community, with our new Town Centre Campus opening in September 2026.
We’re proud of everything our community has achieved in the last 35 years – we can’t wait to see what the next 35 years will bring!
