Digital & IT
Students studying a digital & IT course at our Warrington campus will work in our brand new Advanced Creative & Digital Skills (ACDS) Centre 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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Level 3 Computing & IT
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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Basic Introduction on How to Create your own Website
Distance Learning
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Cyber Security
Part Time
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Digital Basics - Introduction to Using Social Media
Part Time
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Digital Basics - Smartphone Camera Skills
Part Time
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Digital Basics - Staying Safe Online
Part Time
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Gaming for Beginners
Part Time
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HND Computing (HTQ)
Full 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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Keeping Safe - Financial Fraud, Identity Theft & Cybercrime
Distance Learning
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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 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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Next Steps in Digital Photography
Part Time
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Next Steps in Essential Digital Skills
Part Time
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The Importance of Online Safety
Distance Learning
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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 HNC and HND Computing courses. Both are taught by industry specialists who are passionate about their subject and both are offered on a full-time and part-time basis.
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.
Meet our tutors
Sharon Busen
Sharon is course leader for HE Computing and teaches at levels 3, 4 & 5.
Prior to teaching she worked for a well-known bank as part of a project team responsible for developing and roll out of IT systems to regional centres of expertise. She then took on the role of Technology Manager in Central Birmingham. Her teaching experience ranges from entry level 3, through to level 5.
She specialises in teaching programming languages (Java, Visual Basic, C#), web development languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, PHP, MySQL, SQL Server) and database and has also taught systems analysis, business intelligence, spreadsheets, graphics, animation, games development and IT security management.
Mark Evans
Lecturer in IT, Mark Evans has 25 years of experience in manufacturing, including 15 years within the IT industry in a variety of roles.
After gaining his degree, he became an IT Manager for a large company. This included PC and laptop installations, support for servers and networking as well as mobile and landline telephony and many other software systems required to run a manufacturing site.
After gaining his PGCE he became an ICT teacher in a secondary school, teaching up to A Level. Within FE, he has taught various levels and units from hardware through to software, adding to his previous industry experience.
Explore our facilities
Explore our facilities
September 2022 sees the launch of our new Advanced Creative & Digital Skills (ACDS) Centre.
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.
