The Eastern Colleges Group are pleased to announce their Extended Reality Lab (XR Lab)

The XR lab which is set to be officially opened later this year, has already hosted a number of high-profile events, including career festivals to promote work in the health sector and the creative industries.

This state-of-the-art extended and virtual reality hub is at the forefront of education, research and development and is part of the University and Professional Development Centre, the cutting edge post-18 arm of the Eastern Colleges Group that works hand in hand with businesses and delivers university level qualifications.

Chief Executive of the Eastern Colleges Group, Dr Nikos Savvas, said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for us as educators, for the businesses using this facility, and for the talent the businesses can recruit. We are looking to be the leading institution for extended reality education and talent development for industries across post-16 education within the UK. This ambitious project gives our students an exceptional skill set and offers businesses unique opportunities in training, talent management and collaboration."

The group says the XR Lab will enable it to run ‘hub and spoke’ teaching and learning facilities. In addition, its University and Professional Development Centre wing in Bury St Edmunds, where the XR Lab is sited, the group runs Abbeygate Sixth Form College, West Suffolk College Sixth Form and The Built Environment Centre, all in Bury St Edmunds; One Sixth Form College in Ipswich and the North Cambridgeshire Training Centre (NCTC) in Chatteris. The NCTC offers apprenticeships and courses in engineering, manufacturing and business support.