Learning / UWE Bristol
UWE awarded funding to bridge digital skills gap
UWE Bristol has been awarded a £1m investment in order to train the next generation of digital specialists, following an announcement by Theresa May at the ongoing World Economic Forum in Davos.
A new national consortium, the Institute of Coding, comes as a result of a survey published last year by the British Chambers of Commerce. The survey outlined how three out of every four businesses in UK faced a shortage in digital skills among their workforce.
In order increase the UK’s digital skills, UWE are set to receive £1m from a £20m funding pot allocated by the government’s Higher Education Funding Council for England. A further £1m will be invested by the university themselves.
is needed now More than ever
The university will create a student enterprise zone within the heart of the Frenchay Campus that will be known as the Foundry. The university will also be introducing new and innovative courses in cyber security and data analytics. The courses will be available to students in a variety of different formats, ranging from a traditional degree to degree apprenticeships.
Such forward-thinking and progressive courses will ensure that the UK is equipped with stand-out digital skills, meaning that the country can compete successfully in a global digital economy.
Dr Kevin Doyle, associate head of the department of computer science and creative technologies at UWE, said the funding would provide “something the industry needs beyond a well-trained, knowledgeable, and capable workforce – hands-on access to cutting-edge technology and bright, enquiring student minds while their learning is taking place, not just afterwards”.
Dr Rachid Hourizi, director of the Institute of Coding (IoC), said: “The strength of the IoC lies in the fact that it brings together educators, employers and outreach groups to co-develop digital skills education at undergraduate and Masters level for learners in universities, at work and in previously under-supported groups across the country”.
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