Tech Park launched to drive digital skills in Bletchley

A new centre to drive digital skills has opened in Bletchley at the South Central Institute of Technology (SCIoT), part of Milton Keynes College Group.  Tech Park Bletchley offers courses from the most basic digital programmes up to more sophisticated certificates in areas like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Reality (VR).   

The Tech Park has been co-funded by Milton Keynes City Council, using a grant the city council successfully bid for from the Government’s Town Deal programme to help with the regeneration of Bletchley and bring long term economic growth.  

Anna Clarke heads up Tech Park for Milton Keynes College Group.  She says it has courses that could appeal to just about anyone. “We’ve had school children learning about VR and we’ve had business people taking their existing digital skills to a higher level.  Some companies might want to update several staff on a particular programme, like Microsoft Excel for example; others might need us to support only one or two individuals on understanding what AI could mean for their business. At the other end of the scale, we can also help people who want to be able to get more from their phones or learn how to book a GP appointment online; we’re incredibly flexible.” 

The Tech Park is entirely self-contained at the SCIoT site with meeting rooms and teaching spaces and it’s equipped with all kinds of high-tech equipment including VR headsets and Sphero Balls, mini robots that help to teach people how to write computer code. 

Anna says, “We know that a lack of knowledge and confidence in terms of digital skills are holding a lot of people back when it comes to career progression, and that’s something we need to address in an area like ours where there are so many digitally-related businesses needing people to work for them. There are plenty of people who lack the most basic knowledge, and we’re trialling an essential digital skills course right now to try to address that. We want to hear from individuals, from schools, from companies and community groups – anyone who thinks they might benefit from the training we can offer.” 

Tech Park has already been training young people from Milton Keynes YMCA to give them a better chance of finding work, as well as being visited by pupils from Lord Grey Academy in Bletchley for our launch event, who found the experience of wearing VR headsets really useful for revision. 

Lord Grey Academy computer science teacher Sakshi Pabbi says, “Thank you for choosing Lord Grey Academy for the Tech Park event. The session was really great and showed how much technology can change education. Your way of teaching with 3D was cool and made learning fun. Seeing technology mix virtual stuff into the real world was amazing. By using 3D technology, you showed a smart way of teaching that gets students involved and helps them understand better.  Overall, the session proved how powerful technology can be in making education better. It gives us new ways to learn and be interested. I’m excited to see more advancements and use them in my own learning.”  

Anna says age is no barrier to learning about tech.  “It doesn’t matter how young or old you are and what level of digital skills you have already, if at all, we think we’ll have something for pretty much everyone.”  

Anyone who would like to find out more can visit https://southcentraliot.ac.uk/tech-park-bletchley/   

SCIoT student shortlisted at National Cyber Awards

Milton Keynes College Group is proud to announce that Rich Lee, one of our students at the South Central Institute of Technology (SCIoT) was nominated at the National Cyber Awards as one of the finalists in the Cyber Student of the Year award.

Rich, who studies Cyber Security at the SCIoT, was nominated for his ability to extrapolate a concept and apply it in a creative way making these concepts accessible to a broader audience. Rich joined the South Central Institute of Technology later in life than most traditional students, having several careers behind him already not relating to Cyber security. 

He joined to study a Level 4 Higher National Diploma in Digital Technologies and has excelled this year with all his units, especially the one relating to Cyber Security. Under the supervision of lecturer Paul Gartside, former Head of UK Software Engineering & UK Technology Site Lead, Rich has continually impressed lecturers at the SCIoT and the employers for work with us, including CCL and Cranfield University. His creative approach to problem solving is uplifting and supportive to the other students around him which is why others seek his advice on cyber related threat problems set in the learning environment.

The prestigious awards, held on 25th September, focus on rewarding those who are committed to cyber innovation, cyber crime reduction and protecting citizens online.

Paul Gartside, Lecturer in Cyber Security and Data Analytics, and one of Rich’s tutors, said, “I’m so proud of Rich for getting shortlisted as one of the students of the year. His hard work and dedication are an inspiration to everyone around him and, even though he might not have won on the night, to me, he won simply by getting to the national finals. This is real achievement and something we should all celebrate.”