Committed to enhancing young people’s digital skills for the future, Cheshire College has taken technology directly to them with their state-of-the-art bus which is bursting with the very latest portable equipment including a life-size 3D robot.  

Cheshire College is on a mission to support the community with their five-year project ‘The Digital Hub’, which has been designed specifically to boost digital skills, enhance career pathways and develop confidence across communities with increased access to technology.  

As part of ‘The Digital Hub’ project the College is focused on supporting local school children to develop skills in coding and virtual reality through its ‘Digital Doorstep’ initiative, which has seen College learners design and prototype robots for local high school pupils to interact with in their brand-new ‘Digital Hub Bus’. 

Featuring streaming equipment and virtual reality technology, the Digital Hub Bus visited Queen’s Park High School in Chester, where the College’s School Partnership Team and Media & Games lecturers delivered exciting digital skills sessions to over 200 pupils across two days.  

Jordan Swift, Director of Marketing & School Partnerships at Cheshire College, commented: “The Digital Doorstep initiative is aimed specifically for school pupils to engage with new and emerging technology and equip them with the digital skills we know employers want and need at an early age.  

“It’s been fantastic to be able to go into schools and showcase the digital technology and equipment to spark pupils’ imagination and creativity and we’re looking forward to be able to host many more events like this in the new academic year.” 

Careers Lead at Queen’s Park High School, Andrea Watts, commented: “We took part using the College’s Digital Hub Bus during our school enrichment week. It provided the perfect opportunity to work in partnership with Cheshire College and enabled our Year 9 and 10 pupils to experience a taste of the digital revolution!  
 
“The outreach activity has benefitted our pupils as they have had the opportunity to speak to industry experts from the College and use a wide range of equipment including the robot, which has enhanced their understanding of the digital world and transferrable skills for the future.” 

‘The Digital Hub’ project has been formed as part of a £5 million programme of investment that has prioritised Cheshire College as one of the further education providers in the region best placed to deliver digital and STEM-related training and education.  

The project also includes three other strands: 

• Project 4.0: focusing on digital skills in the workplace with an emphasis on improving Advanced Manufacturing Skills 
• Stream: facilitating access to technology within community organisations to raise awareness and develop confidence in digital applications 
• ACT: driving collaboration between colleges and employers to develop, commercialise and promote digital technologies and skills training for construction, nuclear and allied industries 

To find out more about The Digital Hub and how your school, business or local community can get involved email employers@ccsw.ac.uk or call 01270 654638 (Crewe Campus) / 01244 656455 (Ellesmere Port and Chester Campuses).