A cutting-edge college that will equip young people with the latest high-tech skills is set to open in Haringey in September 2016. The Mayor of London has announced £18 million of funding for the college from the London Enterprise Panel’s Further Education Capital Investment Fund.
Based in the heart of Tottenham Hale, ADA, The National College for Digital Skills will offer the latest digital skills training and qualifications – from software programming and data science to games design and app development. Ada’s Founding Partners are: Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Deloitte Digital, Gamesys, IBM and King Digital Entertainment and the Aldridge Foundation. The college’s patron is LastMinute.com Co-Founder Baroness Martha Lane-Fox and the board is chaired by Capita Group founder Sir Rod Aldridge OBE. The CEO and Dean of the College, Mark Smith and Tom Fogden were both teachers as part of Teach First’s inaugural cohort.
Bringing the college to Tottenham further underpins Haringey’s growing reputation for education, skills and training, as highlighted by the recent launch of the Haringey STEM Commission and the boom in tech and manufacturing research and industry in the local area.
Cllr Joe Goldberg, Haringey Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Social Inclusion and Sustainability, said: “The decision by Ada, The National College for Digital Skills to open its new centre for advanced digital skills in Tottenham is a massive boost for Haringey. With 147,000 high paid digital jobs unfilled every year Ada will give young people in Haringey the chance to learn advanced digital skills, especially programming, to secure well paid jobs. This will give opportunities to the next generation to fulfil their potential and ensure Haringey becomes the centre for digital skills in London.”
Mark Smith, CEO, added, "We are really excited to be opening our hub campus in Tottenham Hale. It is fast becoming a centre for innovation and creativity and that mirrors our ambitions to teach digital skills in an engaging and relevant way that prepares students to be successful in industry. Haringey council have been incredibly professional and supportive and we look forward to working with them, other Colleges and schools in the borough to help realise young people’s potential and raise their aspirations."
