West Lancashire Schools and Colleges Get Hands-on With Latest Cyber Technologies
Young people across West Lancashire experienced what a high-tech career in the cyber industry could look like when they joined in with a week-long cyber skills ‘takeover’ involving more than 200 schools, colleges and universities.
Part of the 2025 Lancashire Cyber Festival, and organised by the Lancashire Cyber Partnership, the cyber education week saw over 12,000 children and young people discovering more about study pathways and future job opportunities set to be created by the North West's cyber sector.
Ten schools from in and around West Lancashire signed up to take part in a variety of different activities. This included pupils from several local secondary schools visiting West Lancashire College to experience a day of engaging tech exercises and challenges. With an emphasis on fun, interaction and teamwork, these included sessions based around AI, coding and cybersecurity.
The following day, students from West Lancashire College were joined by cohorts from Accrington and Rossendale College, and Blackburn College, on a visit to Edge Hill University.
Like the pupils who had visited their college on the previous day, the West Lancashire students were themselves tasked with cracking cyber puzzles and undertaking exercises to solve technical challenges linked to online threats. They also got to learn about the type of cybersecurity disciplines, and related topics, which can be studied at university.
In addition to giving young people the chance to experience what studying a cyber course could be like, both the college and university activities were programmed to showcase the different careers which Lancashire’s cyber economy has to offer, including some of the high-skilled jobs which will be generated directly and indirectly by the National Cyber Force (NCF) HQ coming to Samlesbury in central Lancashire.
The wide range of cyber-related roles set to be created in sectors like computing and IT, aerospace and manufacturing, energy and low carbon, construction and engineering, financial and professional services, and the creative industries, were also highlighted.
Commenting on West Lancashire College’s involvement, Rosie Fearn, Director of The Lancashire Colleges group, said: “This brilliant countywide initiative has meant pupils from schools from across West Lancashire have had chance to see exactly what kind of cyber-related courses are on offer through their local college. In turn, students from West Lancashire College have been given a taste of what a Higher Education cyber programme would be like.
“Throughout all the activities, the message has been very clear; that cyber opportunities are something that are both accessible and attainable to everyone and that the North West is set to be the best place in the UK to pursue a cyber-focused career.”
A spokesperson for the Lancashire Cyber Partnership, a strategic collaboration between Lancashire County Council, the University of Central Lancashire, Lancaster University, BAE Systems, and the NCF, said: “The Lancashire Cyber Partnership works to ensure all Lancashire residents feel the benefit of the county’s growing cyber economy. A vital part of that is giving people the chance to access education and training opportunities which can lead to a high-skilled and high-value career in the cyber sector, and related industries.
“Cyber education week is a great example of how we go about achieving that objective. It’s fantastic that so many young people from across West Lancashire got to take part and see what their own future in cyber could look like.”
Other activities which took part during cyber education week included online assemblies created especially for primary schools, a virtual ‘capture the flag’ competition open to all Lancashire college and university students, and a dynamic and interactive cyber discovery day programmed specifically for Year 8 and 9 girls.