Expanding Impact: Iron Mountain and Creating Tomorrow College Announce New Rugby Campus

An Innovative Approach to Inclusive Logistics

Creating Tomorrow College (CTC) is an Ofsted "Outstanding" post-18 specialist college dedicated to helping young adults aged 18-25 transition into adulthood and meaningful employment.

Across the UK, only 4.8% of adults with a learning disability known to local authorities are in paid employment (Department of Health & Social Care / NHS England), despite 86% of unemployed adults with a learning disability wanting a paid job (Mencap). Our partnership directly tackles this structural inequality by embedding a dedicated educational campus within a live, high-performing logistics environment. Students split their time between tailored classroom learning and practical, hands-on work experience across our site operations.

Through daily interaction with our professional teams, site mentors, and job coaches, learners build real-world confidence, technical skills, and practical independence, enabling a seamless transition from education to employment.

"When we look at our warehousing and logistics footprint, we see more than operational hubs, we see vibrant communities where talent can be cultivated," says Maria Torrent-March, Vice President of Warehousing & Logistics for Europe. "Embedding an educational campus within our facilities gives these incredible young adults direct access to the workplace while giving our own teams the opportunity to mentor, learn, and grow alongside them. Creating Tomorrow College has proven that when you provide the right environment, young adults with learning differences excel. Expanding this partnership into Rugby allows us to widen that circle of opportunity."

Our Journey: From Blueprint to Regional Expansion

What began as an innovative pilot rapidly evolved into a scalable regional model across Iron Mountain's key Midlands distribution hubs. Our initial partnership site launched at the Lutterworth facility in September 2024, welcoming a group of 20 learners. Building on that success, we expanded to our Kettering facility in September 2025, accommodating a further 20 learners. The forthcoming launch at Rugby further expands our reach, bringing an initial founding cohort of 15 to 20 learners into our active logistics environments.

Across all three locations, learners do not simply observe warehouse activity; they are directly integrated into daily operational workflows alongside site mentors and dedicated job coaches. Students split their time between tailored classroom learning and practical, hands-on work experience across our site operations as well as various local organisations and sectors. At our facilities, they gain practical experience in essential fulfillment duties, including order picking and packing, safety oversight, facility health and safety audits, and internal customer-facing roles such as visitor sign-in, site hospitality, and event coordination.

The results speak for themselves. CTC's Supported Internship programme achieves a 100% positive destination success rate, helping 100% of participating interns transition directly into paid employment and long-term career pathways.

Building on the success of Lutterworth, our strategic goal was clear: scale the model into new regions to reach more young people and families.

Scaling Opportunity at Rugby

The purpose-built site at Rugby will grant the incoming cohort access to multiple operational warehouse roles across our facilities. By scaling our footprint alongside CTC, we are reinforcing our commitment to Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles, building a diverse, inclusive talent pipeline, and setting a benchmark for responsible corporate citizenship in the logistics sector.

"Expanding into Rugby reflects far more than a physical addition to our campus network," notes Gareth Ivett, Principal of Creating Tomorrow College. "It demonstrates what is possible when business and education align behind a common vision. Iron Mountain's continued dedication provides our learners with an authentic, supportive environment where their differences are celebrated as strengths."

Looking Ahead

As we prepare to welcome our founding cohort of learners to the Rugby site in September 2026, our commitment to creating inclusive workplaces continues to grow. Crucially, this initiative is built on real outcomes: our ultimate goal is to provide learners with clear, supported pathways that can lead directly into full-time employment contracts within Iron Mountain's Warehousing & Logistics operations.

Together with Creating Tomorrow College, we are proud to foster a more inclusive workforce and create tailored pathways where every learner can thrive.