College Invests to Boost Surrey’s Economy and Close Digital Skills Gap

Published on: 25 Jul, 2024
Updated on: 25 Jul, 2024

Guildford College, part of the Activate Learning group, is spearheading efforts to bolster Surrey’s economy by addressing the need for digital and creative skills.

Neil Shoulder, group director of Guildford College (left), and Gary Hudson, founder of iChooseLocal.

With £800k funding from the Department for Education’s Local Skills Improvement Fund (LSIF), Activate Learning is investing in a digital skills centre at Guildford College.

Activate Learning says it’s in response to the shortages in the data, tech and cyber sectors, and shows its commitment to cultivating the future talent necessary for sustaining growth and innovation.

The plan is to provide comprehensive programmes catering to career changers, young learners, and current employees seeking to up skill.

Programmes offered will include a range of courses and qualifications aimed at all ages including T-Levels and Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), as well as apprenticeships in digital and tech subject areas.

Among the first courses offered will be Practical AI in a Day, a four-hour course introducing AI technologies and what is called the “prompt journey” concept, and Applying AI in your Business, an eight-hour course over two days that builds with case studies and hands-on experience in using AI for data analytics and document production.

In partnership with skills portal iChooseLocal, Guildford College will make contact with employers in the area to help to play a role in shaping the curriculum.

Guildford College says this collaboration “will be essential for maintaining a pool of skilled professionals who can significantly contribute to the local economy”.