New AI-Enabled Computing and Cyber Lab for Cornwall as Truro and Penwith College Secures £2.2m to Expand Higher Education

Truro and Penwith College will create a new, state-of-the-art Computing and Cyber Laboratory, equipped to deliver advanced training in Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security and Software Development, after securing more than £2 million from the Office for Students (OfS).

The investment will significantly expand Higher Education opportunities across Cornwall and improve access for adults seeking to gain high-level digital and technical skills without leaving the Duchy.

The funding – totalling £2,217,087, supported by £140,000 of match funding from the College – will modernise Higher Education facilities across the College’s Truro, Penwith and Bodmin campuses. It will enhance university-level teaching in key regional priority areas including Digital Technologies, Construction, Nursing and Healthcare, Psychology and Sport, while widening participation and strengthening progression routes for adults and school leavers.

Truro and Penwith College was one of only sixty providers nationally to receive funding through this competitive OfS programme, which attracted nearly two hundred bids, and is one of just seventeen FE Colleges in the country to secure investment for its Higher Education provision.

The funding supports three major developments that will directly benefit learners across Cornwall.

The first is the creation of the new specialist Computing and Cyber Laboratory at the Truro campus. This advanced facility will include an off-network cyber-security environment, AI-enabled learning resources, immersive digital technologies and upgraded spaces for software development, programming, data analytics and networking. 

The second part of the programme will introduce new industry-standard equipment to enhance higher-level study in Construction, Creative Industries, Nursing and Healthcare, Psychology and Sport while the third element focuses on upgrading digital learning environments across the University Centre Truro and Penwith. This includes new interactive technologies, improved access to devices to reduce digital exclusion, and refurbished Learning Resource Centres offering modern, flexible study spaces. 

Collectively, these improvements will expand the College’s capacity to support additional Higher Education learners and strengthen Cornwall’s long-term workforce in areas where demand for skills is high. The new developments will also make it easier for adults to retrain, upskill or change career at any stage of life.

Truro and Penwith College Principal and CEO, Martin Tucker, said: “This investment from the Office for Students is a major step forward for Cornwall. It will allow us to significantly strengthen higher-level skills training in areas that matter most to the Duchy – Digital Technologies, Construction, Nursing and Healthcare, Psychology and Sport. These developments will ensure that local people can access excellent university-level education and progress into high-value careers right here in Cornwall.

"I am incredibly proud of the team who developed these proposals, and grateful to the OfS for recognising their value. This funding will make a real difference to our communities, employers and learners across the region.”

The College’s Higher Education strategy prioritises widening participation, strengthening links with employers and supporting Cornwall’s priority growth sectors. This new investment will accelerate that work, ensuring that university-level education remains accessible, relevant and aligned to the needs of local communities.