Background
South Devon College has a brand new, dedicated University Centre and an award winning Hi Tech and Digital Centre. The College is located in Torbay, Devon and delivers outstanding teaching and learning to the semi-rural and coastal community. Delivering education from GCSE to Level 6 Degree level qualifications available for 14 year olds upwards, inclusive of all age ranges.
Steve Caunter and Gareth Day from South Devon College discussed Business Connections and their IT Cybersec skills development during the SWCSC Networking Meeting in May 2021.
Skills Gap – Meeting the Needs of the Sector
- Developed the Hi Tech and Digital curriculum which fundamentally follows an engineering life cycle by taking a product from design all the way to manufacturing, so the curriculum covers everything from art through to manufacturing and in the middle is all the digital, media, programming and cyber activities.
- They started off by identifying what the curriculum should look like and what the skills gap is
- Spent a lot of time with employers, the age range, their attributes to work
- Different generations are hired and with each generation there are different styles of working and learning
- Working with employers is essentials to adapt to interests of stakeholders and employees
- To understand what the industry is doing to feed up-to-date activities for everyone: those wanting to reskill and those new to the industry
Determining Digital Skills Categories
Strategic Leadership: Understanding and meeting digital skills needs within an organisation
Curriculum Map
Aims and Objectives
- Closing the skills gap
- Long-term skills strategies for the region and UK plc
- A vibrant and flexible education system
- Developing strong industry relationships
- Support and inspire local community, schools and businesses
Hi Tech & Digital Centre
- Opened in September 2019
- Flexible, agile system designed for engineering
- Share the software applications and equipment around the building
- Systems in the building help to deliver externally to students
- £17m Multi-Partner investment of the building which is constantly being developed
- Sponsors: Heart of the South West, HEFCE, Princess, ABB, Garfield Weston Foundation, EU European Regional Development Fund, South Devon College
- Curriculum: Digital Creative & Design – Cyber Security
- Digital Production, Design & Development: Software Developer, Web Dev, App Dev, Games Dev
- Digital Support Services: Digital Infrastructure, Data Support
- Digital Business Services (2022): Data Technician
- Apprenticeships and Higher Technical Qualifications are also available