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State-of-the-art digital facilities unveiled at Tamworth College

September 2021

Gavin Williamson opening Digital Skills Centre

During an exciting event today, Rt. Hon Gavin Williamson CBE MP visited Tamworth College to officially open the college’s brand-new Digital Skills Centre in front of an audience of key stakeholders and local businesses.

Guests at today’s event were able to meet the Digital Skills Centre team, network over lunch and see the facilities in person. Industry partners Prodigy Training also attended the event and gave a live demonstration.

The purpose of the Digital Skills Centre at Tamworth College is to provide the local community with access to a range of courses designed to boost digital skills. 1 in 5 adults lack essential digital skills to be able to live and work in today’s world safely, for example, how to do online banking transactions, maintain a secure computer system using antivirus or back up their phone to the cloud. The Digital Skills Centre will be able to help support local people in and around Tamworth to secure these essential digital skills.

According to Labour Market Insights, there are 12 key job roles which have been identified as areas for potential growth within the digital sector in the region. The job roles identified include: Dev Op Engineer, Cyber Security Engineer, Data Scientist, Data Analyst, Data Engineer, Software Engineer, Front End Developer, UX Designer, Systems Architect, Information Security Analyst, Social Media Specialist and SEO specialist. With these specific jobs in mind the Digital Skills Centre will deliver a suite of courses specifically designed to address these digital skills shortages and to support the people of Tamworth with securing employment in these specialist digital roles.

Claire Boliver, Chief Executive Principal said “We were delighted to have Rt. Hon. Gavin Williamson CBE MP to officially open our Digital Skills Centre at Tamworth College. The Digital Skills Centre will help to support local LEP priorities, and we look forward to supporting our local community with gaining essential and higher digital skills”.

Rt. Hon Gavin Williamson CBE MP said “It was an absolute honour to officially open the Digital Skills Centre at Tamworth College and say a few words about the importance of closing the digital divide. I firmly believe that it is by investing in our education and equipping our labour force with the latest high-quality digital skills that we will level up across the country and build a stronger and more competitive Britain”.

The Digital Skills Centre project has been part-funded by Midlands Engine and the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) from the government’s Getting Building Fund. The aims of the Digital Skills Centre match the LEP’s vision to promote lifelong learning, increase confidence in the use of digital skills in life and work, and increase the number of people in employment within specialist digital job roles.

Alun Rogers, chair of Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire LEP, commented:

“The new Digital Skills Centre at Tamworth College will play an important role in ensuring that the local community is well-equipped with the digital skills needed for everyday life and work, and help create an even more talented workforce for businesses in the area.

“Digital skills are no longer a ‘nice to have’; they are essential for almost all jobs across a range of sectors. Part-funded by Midlands Engine and Stoke-on-Trent & Staffordshire LEP through the government’s Getting Building Fund, the project is a great example of how investing in skills has the opportunity to make a real difference to people’s lives and jobs across the region – something which is very much at the core of the LEP’s work”.