East Sussex College Launches New Digital Apprenticeships at Employer Breakfast Event

East Sussex College recently brought local employers together to showcase how Digital Apprenticeships can help address growing skills gaps and support business growth across the region.

The employer event, which was held at the college’s Ore Valley campus on Friday 30th January, focused on the increasing demand for digital capability across almost every sector, as organisations face pressure to adopt new technologies, improve efficiency and strengthen cyber resilience.

Leaders from local organisations including Hastings Borough Council, Rother District Council, East Sussex NHS Healthcare Trust, and Holy Trinity Hastings Church attended the event to explore how apprenticeships can offer a practical and cost-effective route to developing in-house digital talent.

Amy Collins, HR Adviser at Hastings Borough Council, welcomed the opportunity to learn more about the College’s digital provision.

“It was great to see the fantastic educational facilities we have in Hastings,” she said. “With the development of technology, it was really interesting to hear about the courses available and to think about how we could use those to help our staff now and in the future, especially with local government reorganisation in the next couple of years.”

Responding to changing workforce needs

Digital skills are now essential for businesses of all sizes, yet many organisations struggle to find the capacity, confidence or expertise to keep pace with change. East Sussex College’s Digital Apprenticeships have been developed in direct response to these challenges, offering flexible training shaped around real workplace needs.

Steve Benny, Administrator for the Apprenticeship and Widening Participation Team at East Sussex NHS Healthcare Trust, said the breakfast was a great opportunity to hear the ambition behind the new digital apprenticeship pathways. 

“For the NHS, these programmes open the door to fresh talent with real, job‑ready digital skills,” he said. “As technology continues to shape every part of our work, developing strong digital capability isn’t just helpful, it’s essential for future growth and innovation.”

Scarecrow Group Ltd, developers of the most sophisticated bird dispersal systems around the world, also attended the session.

“We found the employer breakfast incredibly worthwhile and the real life experience of IT from the classroom perspective genuinely interested us as a business,” said Ian Whittle, Group Commercial Director at Scarecrow Group Ltd. “We are now considering the possibility of expanding our initial apprenticeship head count this year.”

The College currently offers Digital Apprenticeships from Level 3 to Level 5, including Cyber Security Technician, Software Developer, IT Solutions Technician, Digital Learning Designer, and AI & Automation.

The HR team at Rother District Council highlighted the importance of accessible digital training pathways for employers.

“The event was a fantastic opportunity to learn more about the new digital apprenticeship pathways,” they said. “As the demand for digital skills continues to grow, these programmes will play a vital role in supporting organisations like ours to innovate, improve efficiency and remain future-ready.”

Supporting employers and apprentices

“Our Digital Apprenticeships provide a practical and cost-effective way for employers to develop talent that fits their systems, while giving apprentices valuable, real-world experience,” said Vicki Orbell, Head of Business Development at East Sussex College. “Breakfast meetings, like this one, allow us to collaborate directly with employers, explain what support is available, and ensure our apprenticeship provision continues to reflect local workforce needs. It was great to welcome so many businesses to Ore Valley and demonstrate how digital apprenticeships can make a real difference from the very start.”

During the event, employers also had the opportunity to explore the College’s immersive suite and attend a look-and-learn session delivered by the College’s Innovation Lead, Jim Lee, and Level 5 Digital Learning Designer, Adam Tingley.

A flexible route for growth

The College’s Digital Apprenticeships are available to businesses across a wide range of sectors and industries and enable employers to build technical capability, reduce pressure on existing teams and future-proof their workforce.

More details about each of the college’s digital apprenticeship pathways are available at: https://www.escg.ac.uk/apprenticeships/our-industry-sectors/digital/