In 1914 an agreement was made between Wolverhampton Council and Staffordshire County Council regarding the cost of the new college. Two thirds of the cost would be borne by Wolverhampton and one third by Staffordshire. The new college would then be open to students from both areas. A joint technical school sub-committee was set up with ten representatives from Wolverhampton and five from Staffordshire. It was decided that commerce and science departments were to be included and that there would be places for 1,100 students.

On the 5th December, 1919, Dr. W. E. Fisher was appointed as principal of the new college. He had previously been Head of Engineering at Wednesbury Technical College. He took up his new position, early in 1920 and served as principal for thirty one and a half years, initially helping to push-through the plans for the new buildings. Development of the one and a half acre site began when the First World War had ended. In July 1922, J. March obtained a tender to demolish the old deanery. A year later Henry Willcock & Company Limited accepted a tender to build the new Engineering and Technical Block at a cost of £40,000. The final cost of the building and equipment came to £38,900. Local engineering firms generously provided around £3,000 worth of equipment.

The building was opened on the 21st May, 1926 by Princess Mary Viscountess Lascelles, daughter of King George V. It had laboratory and workshop facilities for 665 students. In 1930 / 1931 around 1,600 people enrolled for courses in the three departments housed in the new building. They were Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, Chemistry and Metallurgy, and Engineering Production.

After the initial success of the new college, thoughts turned to expansion. In 1930, several adjacent sites were acquired at a cost of £5,000, and work began on what was then described as the final portion of the college, to be built in Wulfruna Street at a cost of £120,000. On the 7th October, 1931, Prince George laid the foundation stone for the new main building that was designed by Colonel G. C. Lowbridge, architect of the Staffordshire Education Committee. It was built by Wolverhampton builder, Fleeming & Sons and consisted of a steel framework encased in concrete with a floor area of 33,350 square feet. The new building opened in 1932, and was later officially opened by Lord Irwin, President of the Board of Education, on 30th June, 1933.

The ceremony of the laying of the foundation stone on the 7th October, 1931.

The college could now accommodate between 1,750 and 1,900 students and for the first time there was room for technical, commercial and domestic science classes under one roof. In 1932 / 1933 there were 1,507 enrolments, which increased to 2,013 in the following year.

The entrance, known as ‘The Marble’ is named after its Botticino marble facing, 7ft. 6 inches high. It has a fine staircase with a wrought iron balustrade, brass handrails, a stained glass window and a glass half dome at the top. Much of the panelling from the ‘Oak Room’ in the old Deanery was saved, and installed in the ‘Board Room’ off ‘The Marble’.

The top of the stairs from 'The Marble', as seen in the early 1970s. Off to the right was the library, which later became the 'Council Chamber'.

Cross ventilation was provided in all teaching rooms and the main staircases and upper floor corridors had glass roofs for adequate lighting. Vacuum points were included on all floors for cleaning purposes. The sweepings were drawn into a receptacle in the basement. The was also an electrically operated goods and services lift to all floors.

In 1933, the Wolverhampton Local Authority annual report stated that:

"The college makes ample provision for the general education of young men and women not privileged to obtain their higher education by residence at a University. Particularly it is the local home of higher scientific and industrial studies."

The buildings included a library, an assembly hall, a gymnasium, a students' common room, a refectory, a wide range of laboratories, teaching rooms, staff rooms and administrative offices.

There were departments of chemistry and metallurgy, mechanical and electrical engineering, engineering production, building, commerce and a women’s department with courses including physical culture, elocution, and languages.

By 1939 there were 2,921 students, 58 full time, the others part time. One third of the students were women.

An early photo of the frontage in Wulfruna Street.

In the 1930s around ten students each year were obtaining engineering degrees at London University and so plans were made to have a graduate students association at the college, where research work could be carried out.

At the beginning of the war, classes were cancelled until air raid shelters could be provided. When the college reopened there was an expected fall in the number of students, but it was not as bad as expected. Student numbers fell to just over 1,700 which included a rise in the number of engineering students to 653.

Some members of staff were actively involved in the war effort. Mr. M. Schofield, a lecturer in the chemistry department was a gas identification officer for Sedgley. He had to identify any gas used in air raids. Other staff members were air raid wardens who were not expected to attend the college when on duty.

Service classes were run to assist the war effort. They included: food education, the training of army tradesmen, training of women supervisors, instruction of tool room trainees, wireless mechanics' courses (Wolverhampton was one of three provincial centres selected), Ministry of Labour courses for foremen and forewomen, ATS clerical instruction, WAAF cook-butchers' courses, intensive engineering courses for RAF non-commissioned officers, fuel economy, statistical control and quality. Also a course for REME engineering cadets, a personal management course and a course covering modern production techniques. In June 1944 there were 50 air crew trainees. War work accounted for roughly half of the work in the college.

Dr. W. E. Fisher, College Principal. Courtesy of David Parsons.

The drama section was becoming very popular after a weekend drama course in November 1948 that led to the drama  group taking part in local festivals and producing plays. The domestic classes were also proving popular. In 1948 there were classes in cookery, soft furnishings and dressmaking. Other women's classes included hygiene, gymnastics, dancing, tailoring and operatic training.

In 1948 / 1949 there were 4,650 students and a new refreshment room was built. In 1951, Dr. W. E. Fisher who had been College Principal since 1920 retired. He was replaced by Mr. Charles Leslie-Old.