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College Runs First Institute of Technology-Developed Curriculum

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City College Plymouth is the first in the UK to offer a brand-new curriculum that has been specifically designed and developed within the recently formed South West Institute of Technology (SWIOT). The College’s new BSc in Applied Computer Science is the first to run under this banner.

The BSc Applied Computer Science degree, which is the College’s first Bachelor of Science qualification, is delivered in conjunction with the University of Plymouth and targets, specifically, the application of machine learning and data science within the wider information technology sector.

Students and staff are now enjoying the benefits of 60 new high-spec computers, with more to come. Rob Chadwick, Academy Manager of Media, Digital and Performing Arts, welcomed the new technology. He said: “All the teaching staff and I are really happy to be able to provide the students with such a high-level experience. The equipment is top quality, industry standard and is something that other College-level students in the area don’t have access to.”

In addition to the computers, the College also received a state-of-the-art NVIDIA DGX-1: a high-performance server that is essential in the field of computational science. City College Plymouth is the only college in the country to house this level of equipment.

Student Jake Deery said: “I’m really pleased the College has received this equipment through the IOT funding. The new server means we are going to be able to do some great work with big data.”

The equipment, which arrived at the end of November, will enable the College to launch its BSc Cyber Security with Ethical Hacking Degree in September 2020. Cyber security is one of the fastest-growing areas in the computing industry and the course will place its students at the heart of the business by covering topics such as computer networking and security, the ethics of hacking, cryptography and cyber crime.

Jake added: “My choice of City College Plymouth for my degree is the best one I could have made.”

Created in September 2019, the SWIOT is a unique collaboration between a number of partner organisations, including City College Plymouth, the University of Exeter, the University of Plymouth, Bridgwater & Taunton College, Exeter College, Petroc, and Truro & Penwith College, each investing in the development of state-of-the-art facilities for training in technical subjects to create Britain’s next generation of highly skilled technicians and engineers. SWIOT will operate as a virtual college, specialising in technical training and development for the South West.

The SWIOT will specialise in delivering higher technical education with a focus on training in technical subjects such as engineering, digital and construction. The SWIOT is backed by the Department for Education, which is providing £170million of funding to be shared between 12 IOTs.