Lancashire’s colleges are highlighting the digital skills opportunities being offered to regional employers of all size as part of the £8.4m Lancashire Strategic Development Fund (SDF) Pilot to support the zero-low carbon economy of the future.
The Centre of Digital Excellence (CODE) – one of seven key Pilot projects – is helping to develop a Lancashire-wide understanding of digital skills training needs, providing employers with a referral service to access local digital skills training including software development, website design and Computer Aided Design (CAD).
Clare Russell, Principal & CEO at Runshaw College, which is leading the digital initiative, said: “Through CODE we aim to undertake extensive engagement with employers to fully understand the digital skills gaps in the workforce.
“This will give us a full picture of training needs and together with our partner colleges, we will collaborate to design and deliver programmes to meet those needs. To benefit from this project, employers will be signposted to local providers who are most relevant to support them.”
Employers can find out more details about how the programme can help to meet their own specific business needs on The Lancashire Colleges’ website.
The partner colleges including Runshaw College, Myerscough College, Nelson and Colne College, Blackburn College, Preston College and Lancaster and Morecambe are starting to re-shape curriculums in digital subjects aimed at specific sectors including manufacturing and aerospace working with existing partners including the Lancashire Digital Skills Partnership and the Lancashire County Council Boost employer support service.
The £8.4m Lancashire SDF Pilot aims to meet the needs of the zero-low carbon economy of the future through a pilot programme delivered by the county’s colleges.
Working with employers of all sizes across diverse projects covering agriculture, construction, energy, advanced manufacturing, digital and automotive, Lancashire’s Colleges are helping to create a skilled workforce for a future low-zero carbon economy.
The Lancashire Colleges was chosen by the Department for Education to deliver the SDF Pilot, exploring how education providers can work together more effectively alongside employers and other partners to respond to local skills and innovation priorities as well as tackling the zero-low carbon agenda.
The trailblazing pilot is one of the biggest of its kind in England, part of the Government’s Skills Accelerator Programme, which also sees the North and Western Chamber of Commerce and the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce leading the Local Skills Improvement Plan to create a joined-up skills strategy that will help the county become a leading region for zero-low carbon technologies.
