During the time 1974 to 1993, Flintshire experienced the almost total collapse of steel making, as a consequence in part of a growing worldwide steel making market on the Pacific Rim and in Eastern Europe. Flintshire also experienced the collapse of its textile industries and the transformation of its aerospace manufacturing; Courtaulds Textiles had gone, Hawker Siddeley came and went and British Aerospace was born and matured into what is now Airbus UK. This raised questions as to the purpose of Deeside College from 1993; what was its mission and how would it handle its new found status of independence.