Microsoft: Buckinghamshire college boosts UK tech skills

Building the The South Central Institute of Technology cost £18m and work started in 2022

Computer giant Microsoft has described a new college as an "opportunity to bridge the gap" for developing UK technical talent.

Based in Bletchley, Buckinghamshire, the South Central Institute of Technology opened its doors in June.

Courses offered include software development, programming, digital marketing and game development.

Students could study for degree-level qualifications for a third of the fees charged for similar university courses.

The project has been led by Milton Keynes College with a number of partner companies including Microsoft, KPMG and Cranfield University.

The government announced the locations for a dozen "Institutes of Technology" in 2019, with construction in Bletchley starting in 2022.

The college is one of 12 of its kind across the country aiming to plug training gaps in the digital sector

Microsoft has worked with the institute to design the curriculum which focused on areas where it felt there was a "large skill gap."

The company's Derrick McCourt said this was an "incredible opportunity" for the Bletchley and Milton Keynes area to attract people who would not usually consider an IT career.

He said the college has had a "deliberate target" to reach underserved communities such as young women or people who were autistic.

"Frankly it's the most profitable industry in the UK, paying some of the highest salaries, so it has a knock-on effect for economic inclusion and social mobility if we don't reach communities who traditionally don't take part in the digital community," he said.

Partners involved in The South Central Institute of Technology include Microsoft, Cranfield university and KMPG

The college said three years of course fees at university usually cost about £27,000, whereas they offered equivalent qualifications for £18,000.

Head of the school, Jim Nowell, said national skills had been lacking in programming, cyber security and games development.

"This is an opportunity for people from all walks off life to come in at any point in their learning journey," he said.

Richard Lee has been a fraud analyst, stock controller and delivery driver but now he is a student at the college

In addition to encouraging people from underrepresented backgrounds, the college said it was keen to welcome mature students.

Student Richard Lee, 55, worked a variety of careers, including a supermarket delivery driver, for the last eight years.

Mr Lee felt the world had changed over the last few years and he faced an option of "surfing the wave or letting the wave past me".

He said: "50 is the new 30, I thought I'd give it a go."

From September the institute will welcome up to 200 students.