THE third Hyndburn Education Summit took place last week, with career leads and teachers putting particular emphasis on the digital and cyber sectors in their talks. 

Accrington Stanley's Wham Stadium 1968 Lounge hosted the event on May 20.

Headteachers and careers advisors came together with business leaders to hear about engagement with employers in the borough, and the opportunities the rapidly growing field of Digital and Cyber is bringing to the region.

Speaking as a guest was a representative from the National Cyber Force (NCF), which will have its new headquarters in Salmesbury from 2024.

The move is part of the creation of a ‘cyber corridor' from Manchester to Lancaster, with Samlesbury at its centre, and will bring significant numbers of skilled cyber jobs to the area.

The NCF's arrival will help to grow technology, digital and defence sectors, as well as encouraging partnerships between government, industry and universities in the region. 

The Lancashire area stands out for its quality of universities, further education colleges and schools, as well as its ethnic diversity - which is said to be key to having the right 'mix of minds' to represent the UK.

Murray Dawson, chair of #AmazingAccrington commented: "We're very pleased with the success of our Ambassador programme taking businesses into schools, and wish to expand on the number of Ambassadors we have, up to 30. We will also re run our Futures event in October, which was a great success in 2021."

Ben Clements, managing director, Emerson & Renwick, said: "We've added to our traditional skills in engineering. We're creating processes that have never been done before, and when working in a competitive global market, cyber security becomes critical."

Gareth Lindsay, managing director, North Lancs Training Group, added: "We are always looking for ways to provide relevant training for everyone we come across, and we currently have 355 open vacancies including digital roles."

Morag Davis, centre principal for Accrington & Rossendale College, said: "Every job is a digital job now. We're pleased to announce we've recently been awarded OFSTED Outstanding across our whole group, and one of the things they commented on was that our courses are developed to support the local and regional economy."

Collette King, HR Director, Studio Retail, said: "Studio Retail becoming part of a larger group will bring wider opportunities for colleagues, and to the local area. There are some really strong retailers within the group."

Heath Groves, CEO, Sundown Solutions, added: "Age is just a number - we have colleagues aged from 16 to 59, currently. We take people on to develop their skills and train them, and we now have a staff of 58."

Sara Britcliffe, MP for Hyndburn and Haslingden, said: "Education is key to levelling up, and giving people the skills they need for the future. We all work together to bring a bright future for Accrington and the surrounding area."