Coleg Cambria first in Wales to launch ICT academy with global tech leader

A MULTINATIONAL technology leader will launch its first training academy in Wales this year. @colegcambria

Coleg Cambria has been approved as a Huawei ICT Academy and begins delivering a range of cutting-edge courses from September.

Huawei has rolled out free training programmes in more than 90 countries with 3,000 instructors and 60,000 learners worldwide.

Now Cambria is to be the first in Wales to host such programmes, a move welcomed by Nigel Holloway, Director of Business Solutions.

Based at the college’s Yale site in Wrexham, he said: “This is a big honour for us and will enable Coleg Cambria to work in partnership with Huawei to equip people with the digital skills needed to meet demand, especially in the workplace.

“The Covid-19 pandemic demonstrated how vital technology is to our everyday lives, and that need is only going to increase in the future.

“We have yet to finalise which courses we will be introducing for the next academic year, but the themes are around cloud computing, big data, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cyber security and 5G, among others.”

Nigel added: “As the relationship develops, I’m sure interest will grow and grow; this is a fantastic opportunity for employees to upskill and for companies wanting to prepare their workers for further technological advances.

“It is also another example of how Coleg Cambria is at the forefront of academia and industry in Wales – we can’t wait to get started.”

Bespoke courses of different lengths can be tailored to meet requirements and there will be evening classes available virtually and in person subject to Coronavirus restrictions, offering accessibility and flexibility for participants.

Huawei continues to build a global structure of learning, certification, and employment, and is focused on helping build a ‘talent ecosystem’ to improve communication between industry and education and bring through the next generation of skilled IT workers.

Pallavi Malhotra, Director for the Huawei ICT Academy Programme in Western Europe, welcomed Coleg Cambria to the programme.

“The Academy provides so many free opportunities for the ICT sector and is totally flexible, which is why we have had such a positive response worldwide and its popularity has grown and grown,” she said.

“We would encourage employers to explore the wide range of choices available for CPD (Continuing Professional Development) as there are options that would be beneficial for them.

“We are providing the latest industry information, which is fantastic for their staff as well as the learners, so there will be a high level of upskilling as demand continues to rise.”

Pallavi added: “I’m so pleased to have Coleg Cambria join us. It is one of the largest and most ambitious colleges in the country, so we are delighted they are our very first academy in Wales.”