New and existing IT learners have been flocking to the new £5 million Computing and IT Centre at Solihull College’s Blossomfield Campus, which has opened its doors for the first time this September.
The new centre will help support the increase in student numbers enrolled on IT courses, in both further and higher education, from this September.
The College has invested £400,000 in new equipment including new PCs, Macs and SMART Boards, with Wi-Fi accessible throughout. Patrick Geary is Head of School for Computing at the College, he comments: “This is a fantastic new facility, with 16 classrooms including a Mac Lab, a Games Development Lab and 13 state of the art PC classrooms that enable learners to hone their technical skills. There is also a specialist practical lab to enable students to deconstruct computers and perform practicals. It has been great to welcome new students to the new centre and the feedback so far from learners has been overwhelmingly positive”.
The new facility and equipment will help support one of the newest course additions available to learners. The Level 5 HND Enterprise into Systems teaches students the skills to become certified in System Analysis and Program Development (SAP). SAP, used by Apple, PepsiCo and Porsche, is one of the most widely used systems in the world – and there is currently a global shortage with experts in this field.
SAP works as a central system within a company, saving money and time compared to running individual systems for processes such as payroll, sales, attendance and HR. There is potential to work internationally once becoming a SAP certified professional.
In addition to experiencing a global shortage in professionals, Solihull College is the only college in the West Midlands – and second in the country to teach learners about this programme.
During their time on the Level 5 HND Enterprise into Systems, students will acquire a broad mix of theoretical knowledge and practical skills in the analysis, design, development and evaluation of enterprise systems solutions within a commercial context.
To find out more about the new HND and the range of other HE courses being taught at Solihull College please visit www.solihull.ac.uk/Higher education or call 0121 678 7000.
