MP says the Lancashire and Cumbria IoT will have vital role in town’s digital capital goal

Blackpool South MP Chris Webb says the Lancashire and Cumbria Institute of Technology (IoT) will be a driving force in his goal for the town to become a major digital hub.  

Chris, a keen gamer, got hands-on with industry-leading technology at Blackpool and the Fylde College, a partner college in the IoT, experiencing a driving simulator, virtual reality Igloo, cyber security suites and data lab.  

He told students and staff he was excited by the opportunities the IoT offers learners in his hometown, and the potential for it to contribute to his dream of Blackpool attracting top digital businesses.   

The Lancashire and Cumbria IoT is a group of eight colleges, including Blackpool and the Fylde College, set up to collaborate with employers to draw up courses that meet industry skills needs.  

Government funding of £8.7m was awarded to the IoT colleges in Lancashire and Cumbria to spend on industry-leading technology to enable learners to train on the equipment they would be using in the real world. 

 Chris, who shared that he and his wife are keen PS5 gamers, said: “I could never have dreamed growing up that tech like this would be on my doorstep. I want Blackpool to be at the cutting edge to try to attract digital businesses so that people can stay here and have meaningful, rewarding careers. 

“I see the Lancashire and Cumbria IoT as being an important part of that, teaching the skills industries will need and giving people vital opportunities using this amazing technology.”  

Marc Potter, assistant principal digital and creative innovation, took Chris on a tour of B&FC’s University Centre, in the heart of Blackpool, where IoT investment has gone into equipment that can be used by those studying digital qualifications and learners across other courses.   

He tried out a driving simulator and watched a student demonstrate an omni-directional treadmill wearing a virtual reality headset, both of which can be used to generate real-world data that is then analysed by learners in the IoT’s data lab.  

Chris then went into the college’s VR Igloo, an immersive space that can replicate real-world environments, from an F1 garage to a manufacturing factory, hospital and construction environments and much more.  

Marc said: “It’s a wonderful piece of equipment and we find students come up with innovative ways of using it that even we haven’t thought of. We’ve had external organisations in to use it too, from a hotelier using it to plan new room layouts to the police using it to simulate riots for officer training.  

“We talk to industry and they want interactive spaces where their learners can collaborate on real-world problems – this is what the IoT is doing.” 

 The group, which also included vice principal Peter Greenall, college chief executive Alun Francis and learners, also toured the IoT’s cyber labs, where attack and defence rooms mean learners can work on realistic challenges to prepare them for the world of work.    

 Nineteen-year-old Harry Smith, who spoke to Chris during the visit, completed the IoT’s T Level digital support services before moving onto an apprenticeship in digital and technology solutions (network engineering).

He said: “What 19-year-old can say they have access to hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of equipment on their doorstep? It’s fun and informative, and it’s supported by employers so whatever I choose to do afterwards I’ll know I’ll have the skills I need.” 

Chris praised the IoT for its focus on technical skills, which he said is vital for those not necessarily interested in the university route.

He said: “This gives young people like me with learning disabilities, who might not be good at English or those who didn’t go to university at 18, a route into industry that can be flexible to their needs. This is really inspiring and I’ll support the IoT however I can.”