Green light for new Digital Skills Academy
Askham Bryan College has been given the go-ahead for its Digital Skills Academy building.
The £1m project, funded by the York & North Yorkshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) through the Government’s Getting Building Fund, will create an extension to the college’s existing Learning Resources Centre at the York campus.
It will provide the college with a purpose-built environment to teach essential digital literacy skills to its students, enhanced digital skills to those already in industry settings, and to upskill and reskill the current land-based workforce in line with current emerging digital technologies.
There will also be dedicated space for a mixed reality suite to enable the use of immersive technology within the college’s teaching, allowing students to access simulated environments that will provide a richer more expansive learning experience.
Dr Tim Whitaker, principal and CEO of the college, said: “The creation of the Digital Skills Academy will be of significant benefit to the college’s students, staff and industry stakeholders, and will provide a dedicated space for digital and immersive teaching and learning.
“It will ensure the college becomes a leading provider of digital skills and literacy in the region.
“Sustainable food production and environmental conservation are undergoing a rapid digital revolution.
“This development will enhance the college’s curriculum and delivery of new skills, enabling it to respond with flexibility and agility to these rapidly developing industries.”
The project also aims to provide a sustainable curriculum delivery for staff and students where learning materials can be accessed on site or remotely.
It is one of 10 schemes to benefit from a £15.4m Getting Building Fund pot for the York & North Yorkshire LEP area.
David Dickson, chairman of the LEP’s Infrastructure & Joint Assets Board, said: “The region is working towards a greener, fairer, stronger economy, and this project certainly demonstrates those values.
“We’re pleased to support such an ambitious project which creates further skills provision for the area.”
The Digital Skills Academy has been designed by Evans McDowall Architects. The build will begin this spring with completion due in winter 2021.
