Digital & IT
Students studying a digital & IT course at our Warrington campus will work in our brand new Advanced Creative & Digital Skills Academy inside specialist digital suites, equipped with the latest industry-standard equipment and software.
You will study a web of topics such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT) and smart cities, working alongside a range of the industry's top employers including Draw + Code, UKRI and VizBox.
Our digital and ICT courses for adult courses range from cyber security through to level 5 with the HND.
Trips and visits
Our students have participated in a variety of exciting trips to locations including the National Science and Media Museum and the Arcade Club in Bury.
Industry links
At Warrington & Vale Royal College we have impressive connections with a wide variety of local and national organisations. Our computing and IT department enjoy close links with a number of highly-regarded employers including Barclays and Siemens.
We regularly host guest speakers for our computing and ICT courses from several well-known employers such as Blue Beck and the NHS, as well as smaller, local businesses such as Winsford Work Zone and Culture Warrington. These events are a brilliant way to get to know about computing and IT in real world scenarios.
I am
16-18 Years Old
If you studied and enjoyed computing at GCSE or just have a real interest in the ever-changing world of IT and technology, our Level 2 and Level 3 Computing & IT courses may be for you. IT professionals can use their skills to work in a variety of sectors and what's more, with the sector growing at 2.5 times the rest of the economy, IT professionals are in huge demand.
Level 1 Digital Innovation
Full Time
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Level 2 Computing & IT
Full Time
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T Level Foundation Year: Digital & Media
Full Time
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Level 3 Computing & IT
Full Time
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T Level Digital Production, Design & Development: Digital Production
Full Time
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HND Computing (HTQ)
Full Time
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Level 3 Data Technician Apprenticeship
Part Time
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Level 3 Information Communications Technician Apprenticeship
Part Time
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I am an
Adult Learner
We offer a wide variety of adult digital and IT courses.
Some start at the very beginning, serving as a computer course for beginners and range from introducing you to social media and digital photography courses to staying safe online with our online security courses. Other accredited IT qualifications offered both part-time and full-time will enhance your CV and possibly help you change your career or secure a promotion, including our various computer programming courses, such as Introduction to JavaScript and Python, which prepare you to go on to further coding courses and our essential digital skills course. Explore our full offerings below.
Advanced Essential Digital Skills
Part Time
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HND Computing (HTQ)
Full Time
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Introduction to Digital Photography
Part Time
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Introduction to Essential Digital Skills
Part Time
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Introduction to Javascript
Part Time
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Introduction to Python
Part Time
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Let's Get Digital for ESOL (ICT)
Part Time
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Level 1 Award Cybersecurity
Part Time
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Level 1 Award Digital Photography
Part Time
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Level 1 Certificate Digital Skills
Distance Learning
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Level 2 Certificate Digital & IT Skills
Part Time
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Level 2 Certificate Digital Photography
Part Time
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Level 2 Certificate Digital Skills
Distance Learning
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Level 2 Certificate Principles of Cyber Security
Distance Learning
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Level 2 Certificate Understanding Data Protection & Data Security
Distance Learning
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Level 3 Data Technician Apprenticeship
Part Time
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Level 3 Information Communications Technician Apprenticeship
Part Time
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Level 3 Software Development
Part Time
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Next Steps in Digital Photography
Part Time
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Next Steps in Essential Digital Skills
Part Time
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SQL 1 - Introduction
Part Time
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SQL 2 - Intermediate
Part Time
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I am a
Higher Education Learner
If you would really like to pursue a career in computing and IT or a higher-level computing qualification would complement your career, look no further than our higher education computing course. Discover our brand-new Higher Technical Qualification (HTQ) course, HND Computing (HTQ) and gain the skills you need to enter the digital sector, or progress on to further university-level courses.
I am looking for an
Apprenticeship
If you’re looking for an exciting career in IT and wish to earn while you study, completing a Digital & IT Apprenticeship may be the right path for you. Gain valuable experience, whilst expanding your knowledge on a range of key IT topics that will prepare you to either continue your studies to a degree-level apprenticeship or secure employment within the computing sector. Study options include our fantastic Level 3 data technician apprenticeships or our ICT apprenticeship.
Meet our students
The tutors here are incredibly helpful and are always there if you need them.”
Former Bedford High School student Emily Freeman chose to study at Warrington & Vale Royal College because of the college atmosphere, commenting, “The staff were friendly and answered all my questions.”
During her course, Emily completed several work placements at different departments in her local council. She found these to be enjoyable and gained valuable work experience. She feels the course has given her all the background knowledge she needs, preparing her for the level of work required at university. Emily credits the tutors for their support.
I would 100% recommend this course. I'm learning a broad set of skills that are helping me to achieve my future career plans."
Jack Williams, a former Ellesmere Port Catholic High School pupil, chose to study at the college after coming to one of our open evenings and meeting our expert teaching staff.
He says his tutors are really supportive and feels that the learning resources available to him at the college are the best aspect of studying here.
The course has given me the opportunity to explore different areas of computing and gain knowledge from experienced tutors.”
Former Level 3 Computing & IT student at Warrington & Vale Royal College, Ryan Higgins, decided to continue his studies with us by enrolling on the HND in Computing. The course was recommended to him by a friend and after researching, he found that the qualification covers a broad range of topics rather than focusing on just one specific area like a lot of the university courses he had considered.
On completion of the course, Ryan hopes to start his computing career working with databases or in software development, but also hasn’t ruled out returning to education in the future to specialise in a particular area of computing.
I have absolutely no regrets jumping into this field and I would say to anyone thinking about a career in computing or considering this course to just go for it! The modules are really interesting and the tutors are brilliant.”
Alec Peacock previously worked as an Estate Agent but always enjoyed coding in his spare time, so decided to turn his passion into a career by choosing to study the HND in Computing.
Being an adult computing student, Alec was initially concerned about funding the course but says the Admissions Team at college made the process of applying for a student loan extremely simple and the course was a more affordable alternative to a degree.
Alec aspires to progress onto work as a Software Developer in either the finance or gaming industry in the future.
John chose to study at Warrington & Vale Royal College as it is local to him and the course fits well around all his other commitments. John began studying here on our Introduction to ICT Skills for Office Work course and has now progressed onto the advanced course. The courses have been great for John who relies on computers to complete administration tasks for his own business. Having little IT experience from previous jobs or school, these digital courses have been the perfect solution.
The digital skills courses teach a range of topics and John has particularly enjoyed learning about cyber security as well as learning new skills such as mail merge and managing spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel.
In the future, John hopes to incorporate the skills learnt on these courses to help grow his own business and become more independent with administration tasks.
Meet our tutors
Russell Dyson
Computing & IT Tutor Russell has an extensive background in the IT industry. After gaining his MSc in Information Systems, Russell has worked in the education sector teaching the next generation of IT for a number of years.
Russell is very dedicated to the progression of his students and enjoys watching them develop and grow on their career journey. Using his expertise, Russell likes to give his students real-life scenarios that will help them with both higher study and employment in the future.
Trevor Humphreys
Trevor Humphreys, Lecturer in IT, has held various commercial management positions before deciding to pursue a career in teaching. He is passionate about imparting his knowledge to the next generation and aims to share valuable insights he has gained during his time in the industry to assist them in their future careers.
"My favourite aspect of teaching at Warrington & Vale Royal College is helping students succeed and passing on practical knowledge from my industry experience, which they may not find in the standard syllabus."
Explore our facilities
Explore our facilities
September 2022 sees the launch of our new Advanced Creative & Digital Skills (ACDS) Academy.
Throughout your course you will use cutting-edge PCs optimised for running the latest industry-standard software. As well as a suite of Microsoft (MS) applications including MS Access for database design & building, we use specialist software including; Visual Studio, Autodesk Maya, Unity, Unreal Engine, Substance Painter, Substance Designer, and the full Adobe Creative Suite.
HE students will have access to our virtualisation servers, allowing the experience of building a PC and file servers from scratch, using Windows and Mac operating systems.
