IT and Education Campus unveiled

Enterprise hub opens doors to all

A new education hub designed to meet the Island's need for skilled IT workers is officially launched with an open day today (12 Oct).

The IT and Education Campus at the Nunnery outside Douglas aims to fill an acute skills gap - and drive the digital economy.

The facility is a partnership between the International Centre for Technology (ICT) Ltd and University College Isle of Man (UCM), which materialised after private investor Philip Vermeulen bought the Nunnery site earlier this year. 

Key Island employers in the IT sector including Microgaming, Manx Telecom, KPMG, Dervico, Continent8 and Home Strategic will be the launch, to talk employment opportunities for graduates.

Trade journalists from the UK, Ali Paterson from Fintech Finance and Emily Spaven from Tech City News are also attending. 

Gaps in employment are expected to be filled by students enrolling on degree courses at the facility, such as MA in computer science and BSc in cyber security from next year - those offered by UCM as the project's academic partner.

In tandem, ICT Ltd is developing an enterprise and technology hub on the site, with a view to creating a modern technology park.

Those with industry interests, prospective students and members of the public are invited to the open day from 2.30pm at the Nunnery campus, for an afternoon of tours and talks. 

The event will include an address by entrepreneur Mark Gerhard of Playfusion who will outline the importance to the Manx economy of education, creativity and 'human capacity' in IT. 

The facility is a collaboration that places the medieval estate at the centre of an entrepreneurial hub for the next generation of Manx workers.