The launch of a new Microsoft gold standard IT academy at Lincoln College is promising to fill a gap in the local digital sector.
The Risual Microsoft Digital Academy was launched by special guest, Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership (GLLEP), Ursula Lidbetter on Tuesday, January 16.
GLLEP Chair Urasula Lidbetter. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Training will be focussed on apprenticeships in IT, software development, digital marketing and cyber security.
Developed in partnership with risual Education, a Microsoft gold partner, the academy will be the only one of its kind in Greater Lincolnshire.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
The apprenticeships will be designed to meet employers’ needs and linked to industry recognised vendor qualifications (Microsoft MOS, MTA, MCP).
An Azure-focused apprenticeship will also be offered to support companies to become proficient in cloud technology.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Collage representatives, stakeholders and local business leaders celebrated the launch of the new academy just weeks after the college secured a provisional £2.3 million from the GLLEP to build a Digital and Professional skills Centre at its Lincoln campus.
Once complete, this will house the Digital Academy and also provide high tech training for the engineering, manufacturing and healthcare sectors.
Lincoln College Group CEO Gary Headland. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
Lincoln College Group CEO Gary Headland said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for local employers to upskill their existing staff and take on new digitally aware employees to innovate and grow their businesses.
“Our network of more than 1,000 local firms across all sectors has been telling us for some time that digitisation and automation of processes is resulting in critical skills shortages in IT, software development, cyber and digital marketing.
Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
“This academy is just the start of our Digital Transformation Programme, which will see us develop a Digital and Professional Skills Centre in Lincoln, with bespoke facilities across the county and abroad.
“A similar facility based in Riyadh will even provide the opportunity for our higher education engineering lecturers abroad to share their expertise back here in Lincolnshire.
“We would encourage all firms who are experiencing skills shortages in these areas and people looking for secure, lucrative and exciting careers in digital to get in touch with us.”
Risual Director of Education Tina Jones added: “We are very excited to be working with Lincoln College Group in the Greater Lincolnshire LEP area.
“This is a progressive college group doing fantastic training across a number of key growth sectors in the local economy. Their commitment to now driving IT skills growth within the LEP is exceptional.”
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Update: Lincolnshire Police said on June 30 that Benjamin Flatters has now been detained.
A 31-year-old Lincolnshire man is wanted by police in connection with a serious assault, just months after he was given a year-long prison sentence.
Benjamin Flatters, 31, was sentenced to 12 months in prison in December 2021 after he frightened a woman and her grandson by arming himself with a knife he’d taken from the room of another resident at a motel he was staying at.
He admitted two charges of affray and possession of a bladed article after this incident, and it is not the first time he has been in trouble with the law.
Flatters was given a two-week jail term in 2013 when he posted offensive comments on Facebook regarding the murder of Drummer Lee Rigby in London.
He had sent messages of a “grossly offensive” nature, aimed towards Muslims and extremists, while also being charged for allegedly sending messages of a sexual nature to underage girls and offering to supply drugs via social media.
He is now wanted by officers in connection with another serious assault, and if you have seen him or know where he is you should contact Lincolnshire Police on 101.
A Lincoln village pub which has been shut for six years is set to get a big refurbishment in the hopes of securing its future.
The Horse and Jockey on Waddington High Street could get a bigger beer garden, interior redecoration and extensive improvements to the outside.
Operator Stars Pubs and Bars wants to find a new operator for the country pub once work is complete.
The list of proposed changes include a new canopy, alterations to the conservatory, a 70% bigger patio, a replacement main entrance, external redecoration, internal alterations, an electric vehicle charging point and an accessible toilet.
The application says: “The premises are currently vacant and have been so for approximately 6 years. The proposals are designed to re-instate a viable public house operation and to make best use of the premises and its existing facilities.”
It adds that the building needs “considerable investment in order to address ongoing wear and tear”.
The pub’s owner hopes to find a new operator | Photo: Google
The Grade II listed building is located on the junction of High Street and Manor Lane.
Parts of the building date back to the 18th century, with various extensions added.
It closed around 2016 as many pubs found trade increasingly difficult.
Bridgeway Contracts have drawn up designs for refurbishing the country pub and making it appealing to customers again.
A report into the application says that the changes would “protect the heritage asset, reduce any potential negative effects on the Conservation Area from a significant building being unoccupied and to mitigate risks associated with medium term vacancy such as vandalism and theft.”
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