NEARLY £70,000 has been invested in sophisticated industry-leading science equipment at Coventry College.
The city college is one of the few further education institutions in the UK boasting a high-tech Compact FT-IR Spectrophotometer, which can analyse samples in 40 seconds to identify contents using infra-red technology, and is widely used for testing pharmaceuticals, forensics, food and other substances.
It is also one of the first education providers to have MiniOne Systems – a portable piece of innovative equipment enabling students to be taught in finer details about the workings of DNA.
More than 100 pieces of Bluetooth data logging equipment have been funded – enabling students to record data relating to breathing, respiration, heart rates and temperatures digitally onto mobile devices.
Other new medical testing equipment includes ultrasound machines, electrocardiogram, vein scanners and a digital fingerprint scanner, which simulates in lessons how modern-day biometric identification is carried out by police forces.
Kayleigh Vice, Lecturer in Forensic Science at Coventry College, played a key role in bidding for the funding for the College’s science department, which has 589 students based at the College’s Henley Road campus.
She said: “This is a game-changing investment not just for the College’s ability to attract further talent, but for our students too, who will be using industry-leading equipment that will help them to be one step ahead of competition when studying at university and going for a job in the real world.
“The science, technology, engineering and manufacturing sectors are progressive and fast-growing, and it’s fantastic that we now have equipment that makes us ideally-placed to nurture the next generation of science professionals.”
The equipment will also benefit students studying BTEC Level 2 and Level 3 courses in Applied Science, Forensic and Criminal Investigation, and Biomedical Science as well as Access to Higher Education courses in Health, Core Science, Environmental Science and Forensic Science.
Carol Thomas, Principal and CEO at Coventry College, added: “This investment underlines the College’s commitment to equipping our students with the transferable skills and knowledge that industry needs.
“We are actively encouraging people – particularly school leavers – to find out more about the range of courses we offer, and how we can help them to stand out in what is going to be a competitive job market over the coming years because of the redundancies caused by the Coronavirus pandemic.”
