Milton Keynes College Group has taken another significant step, by signing the formal Licence for the Institute with the Department for Education and agreeing the terms of its grant funding for the refurbishment of sites in Bletchley, Oxford and Reading. Milton Keynes College learnt that its bid for an Institute of Technology was successful last year and now architects are developing plans for the new home for the South Central Institute of Technology (SCIoT) in Bletchley.
The IoT had originally been intended to move into a building on the existing Bletchley Park heritage site, but this proved unviable. Instead, students will be able to enjoy exceptional facilities within a refurbished and extended building on the existing campus of Milton Keynes College. Students have already begun studying the new curriculum, and are expected to be able to move in to the new centre in 2022.
Principal Alex Warner says, “One of the key elements of the new plans will be to make the premises a showcase for inclusive design. We are committed to making the South Central Institute of Technology somewhere where everyone belongs and knows they matter regardless of gender, ethnicity, (dis)ability, neurodiversity, socioeconomic background, or any other factor. This is a place for everyone, and it’s a key part of helping to make the technology sector significantly more diverse.
The Bletchley SCIoT buildings will be situated on the existing campus of Milton Keynes College in the Bletchley Park ward, between Sherwood Drive and Fitzwilliam Street and directly opposite the railway station. This will mean students and staff being able to take advantage of the new East-West Rail project connecting Oxford with Cambridge, potentially drawing people in from a wider geographical catchment area.
Whilst plans to deliver the full project are being developed, the project team are really pleased to have launched a BETA Digital Curriculum this September welcoming 50+ students. Students are studying Full Time, Part Time, Apprenticeships or CPD programmes. Pathways available include; Cyber Security, Programming, Data Analytics, Cloud Networking or Games and Animation. Learning and development is available to all those wanting to continue formal education, upskill and/ or retrain and reskill.
The SCIoT team will be keen to showcase early designs which will kick off community consultation very soon. Furthermore, information about curriculum, including involvement of partners (including Microsoft, KPMG, McAfee and Evidence Talks) will also be available in due course.
Updates to BPARA will be provided by both Alex Warner (Principal IoT) and Jess Annison (Project Director IoT) in newsletters, websites and, when applicable, in-person to ensure all feedback is captured.
