An engineering firm has donated thousands of pounds worth of laptops to help support home-working students at Suffolk New College.
Ischebeck Titan UK is a specialist provider of engineered solutions for concrete frames, ground engineering and civil engineering applications.
Based in Staffordshire, the firm signed up to become one of 200 industry partners to help learners throughout their time studying at an educational establishment (Suffolk New College) that has campuses in Ipswich, Otley, Halesworth and Leiston.
The £10k contribution of 20 computers will now be distributed to all those who are on a Level 2 Step On programme.
This pathway has been designed specifically to meet the needs of those learners who are unable to attend college in person. This may be due to a number of factors, including health reasons. So far, seven PCs have been loaned out to learners who don’t have access to computers, and more will be given out in the future.
In addition to the Ischebeck Titan UK donation, a total of £4k was raised by the college at a charity auction that took place at Milsoms earlier this year during an industry partner dinner. This money has been used to buy ten more computers to help those studying at home.
Neil Conroy is the Business Development Manager at Ischebeck Titan UK. He said: “It’s our pleasure to work with our local college. We need to work with them to help bring through the next generation of talent into engineering and construction.
“There are massive infrastructure projects happening in Suffolk and East Anglia that need more skilled people coming through. So, in addition to this donation, we have and will be offering masterclasses and mentorships to students. We are passionate about helping people in education progress into the workplace, so we have lots of other exciting plans lined up in the future, that will give more advice and guidance to young people – as well as further donations.”
Cherese Tiller is a Curriculum Coordinator at Suffolk New College. She said: “I’d like to say a big thank you to Neil and everyone at Ischebeck Titan UK. This donation is more than just financial– it is beneficial on many levels, allowing young people who might be suffering from digital poverty the opportunity to access education from home. It is giving our students the chance to carry on with their educational journeys and we are very grateful.”