Newham Online News

In a bid successfully led by London East TEC, Newham should see three linked Stratford-based Centres of Excellence focussing on awareness, familiarization and training in ICT for SMEs and individuals throughout East London. UeL will be expanding its Bee Centre based within Duncan House Stratford and Newham F.E College will expand its range of facilities at its Newham campus.

ELATT based in Tower Hamlets will also be participating in this programme - which was introduced by Education Minister, David Blunkett back in March.

In a separate bid the Newham-based charity NEWTEC - which specializes in ICT and multi-media training for women in ethnic minorities - has also won additional funding to augment and expand its activities from its base in Water Lane, Stratford.

Co-ordinating and sign-posting this significant increase in capacity and facilities will be London East TEC from their new premises, currently undergoing refurbishment, in Boardman House, Stratford Broadway. The three linked Centres are expected to be open early in 1999.

Martyn Laycock, Director of the successful Business Development Centre at UeL says

"This is good news for East London - with not just one, not two - but several linked Centres all committed to opening up the benefits of Information Technology and Telematics to the people of East London.. Its just what this area needs because there is MUCH to be done if Newham and its surrounding Boroughs and their populations are to fully exploit the very real opportunities which stem from the combined effects of sustained regeneration and the opening-up of ICT to a much wider public."

The "Bee" centre will be extending its range of Internet and IT courses to include more practical applications such as web-site development, CAD-CAM, training in spreadsheets and accounts packages (such as SAGE), use of GIS and Database applications as well as more basic intermediate and advances training in the popular IT applications packages.