The Norfolk Computing Hub

Lintott Control Systems is delighted to have a new partnership with The Norfolk Computing Hub, based at Neatherd High School in Dereham.

The Norfolk Computing Hub is one of the 40 new Department for Education appointed National Centres for Computing Education. The Hubs have been tasked with promoting computing in schools and the wider community to tackle the forecasted employment gap in this industry sector. Unless more schools broaden their offer of computer science including at GCSE and A level, there are estimated to be thousands of unfilled posts weakening the UK’s presence in this field.

A major part of the Hub network’s operations is to up skill teachers to become specialists in computer science to provide the required 8000 teachers to deliver the subject at a secondary education level. Work has started on training teachers through a comprehensive program of continuous professional development which consists of face-to-face and online courses. The face-to-face courses will train 100’s of both primary and secondary teachers in the county, initially over the next 3 years, to improve the provision of the subject. During the current period of government measures to deal with coronavirus, training is continuing online.

Lintott is making its Industry Accelerator Training Academy available for the Norfolk Computing Hub to run its face-to-face courses on a cost neutral basis.  The Academy includes the latest Computer Aided Design Workstations, as well as other Industrial equipment and apparatus.  Other than a token fee to cover running costs, Lintott will be donating the fee to the Hub, which will be used to subsequently enhance the work it is undertaking across the county. Adam Gibson, the Norfolk Hub Lead, praised the generosity of Lintott and explained that thanks to the company’s contribution, many more teachers and pupils will benefit from the money being used to purchase special purpose hardware to be used in schools.

Adam commented; “Physical computing devices can bring the subject to life and help to engage young people from an early age into computing. It is now possible to be able to buy class sets of devices that will be available for loan by primary schools and that our trainers can work with teachers to strengthen the delivery of the subject to pupils of all ages.”

Jamie Thums, Lintott Chief Operating Officer & Chair of the New Anglia Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering sector Group [“NAAME”] commented; “Lintott is delighted to support the Norfolk Computing Hub in its endeavour to strengthen computing education across the region. As a digitally integrated process solutions business, and like a great many companies across Norfolk, the backbone of our business is computing and digitisation. Therefore, we support the Norfolk Computing Hub in supporting teachers from non-specialist backgrounds who wish to improve their knowledge of computer science and teach it at GCSE level. This in turn, can only help fuel a larger pool of new talent, consisting of both males and females, eager to make a difference in a computing & digitally-related field.”

Donated fees could run into several thousands of pounds over the initial three years of the Hub’s contract which will have a significant impact on young people in the county.