High School gets £90,000 IT boost

Bexhill Regeneration Partnership has obtained South East England Development Agency permission to use 90,000 of town regeneration funding for the establishment of a Cisco information technology centre scheme.

Training for internationally-recognised Cisco qualifications in IT will be open not just to existing High School students but to the town at large.

Local businesses needing to update the computer skills of their staff are expected to be among the major users of the unit as are job-seekers needing new skills.

Work on adapting part of the High's Down campus into a self-contained unit is expected to begin shortly.

The first adult students are expected in January.

Partnership chairman Malcolm Mitcheson says: "This is really a great breakthrough for us and for the regeneration project.

"This is another example of regeneration working in Bexhill it is wonderful."

Bexhill High School head Mike Conn says of the news: "It is incredible. I am so pleased.

"This was always in the High School technology college plan but it took a lot of tweaking and adjustment to the building to make it possible.

"It will provide a new computer engineering and ITC centre. Computer engineering means actually building computers.

"We will be adapting some former washrooms and a small classroom at the extreme end of the school.

"This means that adult students using the facility will not have to walk through the entire school but will have their own separate entrance.

"The unit will be self-contained, with its own toilets, washing facilities and refreshment area. Adult students will be able to make use of the centre during the day-time.

"This really is a major step towards making the technology college a community resource.

"We have a member of staff already undertaking training.

"We hope to start in January. Before that we will be putting out marketing releases for firms wanting to send people on courses."

Mr Conn said it was hoped to start building conversion work in about three weeks time.

The cost of courses has yet to be announced.

Mr Conn said: "If people are in need we will look to other sources to help with funding. But the costs will be minimal. The idea is to help adults to become employable - it is really about regenerating the town.

"We will be working closely with Bexhill College and Hastings College."

Ultimately, the community resource concept will enable adults to take part in GCSE courses at the High School.