Burnley College says it will use its share of £4.5 million government funding to invest in cyber-security and Artificial Intelligence (AI) training.

The college’s share of the money from the Department for Education will be used to “equip learners with the cutting-edge skills required to thrive in a rapidly evolving digital landscape”.

The need for education in the digital world increases every year and there has been talk of AI technologies in recent months, including how its usage will impact us in the future.

Last year, the college’s security operations centre, where staff teach cyber security, opened and it became a leading partner in the Lancashire and Cumbria Institute of Technology, offering higher-level courses in this specialist sector.

Teaching staff now have the opportunity to expand those facilities and receive extensive additional training, empowering them to design, develop and deliver innovative teaching to address the digital, cyber, and AI skills gap across different sectors.

It is hoped that students will emerge as skilled professionals, ready to contribute to the digital technology industry.

Clare Webster, head of business and professional studies, says digital technology grows at an exponential rate.

She said: “Ensuring Students have the skills to operate within these advances as well as discovering the holistic effects of data visualisation and cyber security on productivity, net zero and the ethical and financial implications of automation is vital for the future of industry.

“The challenges the world is facing with the rapid introduction of AI and the effect it is already having on young people’s lives means we need to be ahead of the curve and this funding gives us the opportunity to shape our curriculum accordingly.”

Burnley College is committed to high-quality education and addressing the skills needs of the region.

The funding boost allows it to provide industry-standard, flexible teaching facilities and curriculum.

Karen Buchanan, principal at Burnley College, whose background is in IT and coding, says the world moves fast.

She said: “Information technology is one of the most rapidly evolving subjects. It was constantly changing during my career in coding, and I suspect I would need several refreshers to keep up with the level of skill we see in college today.

“Our tutors have been working closely with The Lancashire Colleges Group and industry experts to develop industry-standard, flexible teaching techniques – designing cutting-edge classrooms to deliver a new curriculum that will address the digital, cyber and AI skills required by so many businesses today.”