CRAVEN College has partnered with workplace services provider, Apogee Corporation, to undertake a £1.5m overhaul of its Information Technology equipment.

By upgrading its existing, tired, devices, the college has transformed its IT department and boosted student and staff satisfaction rates in its equipment to 91 per cent.

The project included the replacement of more than 900 'desktop positions' for its growing number of students. Apogee also provided new laptops for all members of staff. Since getting the new equipment, the college’s IT department has seen an 85 per cent reduction in calls to its helpdesk.

Adrian Lawson, the college's head of IT said: “We couldn’t have delivered this ambitious project without Apogee.

"We’ve only got a small IT team, so we were really grateful to Apogee for coming in and installing all the devices, doing much of the leg work and taking the pressure off my team. Students and staff are delighted with the quality of the new equipment, and Apogee’s ongoing service delivery means that high levels of performance are guaranteed as student numbers grow.”

A provider of vocational qualifications for 3,700 students across North and West Yorkshire, Craven College approached Apogee when it became clear that its current ageing IT equipment was no longer fit for purpose.

With some machines taking up to 20 minutes to load each morning, poor performances and inefficiencies were resulting in low student satisfaction and an overstretched IT helpdesk. The move to remote teaching and learning during the pandemic further highlighted the need for updated technology.

Paul Rylands, from Apogee, said: “We are extremely pleased to be helping Craven College bring technology to the forefront of teaching and learning. As the college continues to invest in the development of their students, lecturers, and administrative staff, Apogee will continue to ensure they have not just the equipment, but the excellence of service required to enable them to focus on their educational goals.”