Newcastle College is celebrating the opening of its two new specialist digital laboratories, as part of a £6m investment that was awarded by the Office for Students earlier this year. The labs are based in the college’s University Centre, and they are both equipped with the latest technology.
The college hopes that the state-of-the-art facilities, dedicated to cyber security and immersive technology, will help students to take advantage of the growing tech sector and give them the skills they need to work in the industry. These labs are the first example of this money being used to further improve Newcastle College’s higher education provision.
The laboratories are kitted out with high-spec machines and the latest Cisco networking kit, allowing students to take part in practical sessions while working with industry-standard equipment. They are also off-network, meaning that those using the facilities can take part in ethical hacking activities and learn skills that are vital for these digital roles.
The labs also contain a spacious area for students to use VR, AR and XR equipment, as well as full-body and facial motion capture suits. Networking and Cyber Security student Lucy Hall has began using the labs this term, and she said: “The new facilities are great. I’m getting to enhance my knowledge by putting it straight into practice with this bespoke equipment. I feel like it’s really going to help when I go into industry.”
The opening of these facilities comes recently after the North East was announced as the Digital Technologies Launchpad, one of eight regional clusters appointed by the government. Each of these is a launchpad for a different area of innovation and the North East will receive part of a £75m investment from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology.
The Launchpad project aims to establish world-leading, globally interconnected innovation clusters, which will hopefully lead to increased employment, economic growth and productivity within the chosen regions. Jon Ridley, the Deputy Principal at Newcastle College added: “We are committed to giving our students the higher technical skills needed to succeed now and in the future.
“We invest in facilities, kit and equipment so the cyber security architects, analysts and engineers of tomorrow can refine their skills and explore ideas. NCUC graduates are work ready and that can only be a good thing for a thriving region and beyond.”
To learn more about NCUC and their plans for the funding, visit the website here.
