New state-of-the-art laboratories could be coming to the CECAMM educational facility in Whippingham as part of a multi-million-pound government scheme.
Through the South Coast Institute of Technology (IoT), the Isle of Wight College’s Centre of Excellence for Composites, Advances Manufacturing And Marine, more commonly known as CECAMM, has plans to expand.
Using part of the government’s £13 million fund, a new higher education digital centre and prototype development suite has been proposed for the site on the Whippingham Technology Park, expanding what it can offer students after their GCSEs.
It will make space for 50 more students and include a theory-based learning lab and a practical prototyping lab. According to planning documents submitted by Saunders Architects to the Isle of Wight Council, the theory-based lab is designed to mimic facilities in a commercially-connected office space, with conference facilities, computers and screens.
It would be used as a commissioning space, the plans say, where clients can describe a problem and students will work together to create a solution, which will then be pitched to the client.
The prototype lab will have a range of equipment, including 3D printers, software and hardware, to create a design and model for a product using a specification from a client.
The extension of CECAMM is proposed to echo the existing building, through materials and its colour palette.
The IoT was announced at the end of last year as a collaboration between five further education colleges and 2 universities. Through a range of flexible post-16 technical qualifications, including T Levels, apprenticeships and degrees, offered across the seven educational partners, the IoT was expected to welcome more than 1,000 students from September in its first academic year.
The IoT will offer courses across the south coast, ranging from superyacht engineering and manufacturing wind turbines to researching sustainable solutions to climate change and building virtual production film sets. Partners of the IoT include Southampton Solent University, the University of Portsmouth, Brockenhurst College and Eastleigh College.
You can view the plans for CECAMM, 23/01231/FUL, on the Isle of Wight Council’s planning register. Comments can be made until 4th September.
That is awesome. The collage should strive to also become a university. That is a large number of experienced and skill software engineers on the island. By tapping into that they could build a very compelling suit of IT degree and higher education qualifications. With a little work the island could be the next big thing IT. Already some world leading software being developed on the island.
Agreed that software development is an ideal business for the Island.
Several caveats: Whippingham isn’t exactly accessible, given appalling bus, chain ferry and mainland ferry services. And the day WightFibre decides to change its business model (eg goes bust) suddenly we are up the creek without a paddle.
On the wider scene, software is useless without hardware to operate it on: manufacturing in UK has largely gone away, thanks to Maggie’s mad notion that we can all cut each other’s hair and paint each other’s toenails. It’s a pity the “Technology Park” never attracted any serious businesses.
A population of 141,000 cannot justify or support a university. The island age group from 18-21 comprises less than 3% of that population and if ca 40% of them went to the university (the norm on the mainland), that would only be 1690 but you would do well to take even 5-10% of those from going to better universities (which would be all initially), so that would leave you with a student population of about 85. You would be on a hiding to nothing trying to attract students from the mainland to the smallest and worst university in the country. Forget this notion.