Andrew has highlighted the TechTrowbridge initiative to improve digital skills and attract investment from tech firms to the local area to Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy in the House of Commons and invited her to the county town to see it for herself.
On Wednesday (9 October) he addressed Ms. Nandy during a debate on the future of the British film industry:
“The Secretary of State will understand that the boundaries between film, cinema, e-sports and gaming are increasingly diffuse, but what they have in common is digital, and the need for digital skills. Does she agree that the local skills improvement fund has been crucial in developing digital skills across the country? Will she commend the work of Trowbridge college’s “TechTrowbridge” initiative in its digital skills centre, which has been facilitated by that fund, and does she hope, as I do, that it will continue to be generous? She is very welcome to visit Trowbridge at any time and see the excellent work that we are doing to advance digital and its contribution to the media industry, particularly around e-sports and gaming.”
The Culture Secretary replied:
“I heard the pitch for Trowbridge loud and clear. The right honourable gentleman can consider that to be duly noted by those of us on the government benches. He is right about digital skills and that the boundaries between some of the creative industries are increasingly blurred as more of them find themselves online. Our government are committed to introducing a digital inclusion strategy, which we will produce shortly with a strong emphasis on digital skills. This country has been without a digital inclusion strategy for 10 years, and during that time other countries have leapt ahead of us. We are determined that that will no longer be the case. I very much hope that the great work going on in his constituency will be at the centre of it.”
Andrew subsequently wrote to Ms. Nandy to repeat his offer of a visit to see TechTrowbridge and the new digital skills centre at Trowbridge College for herself. Andrew said:
"Following the debate and my invitation to visit Trowbridge, I discussed with Wiltshire College Principal Iain Hatt on Friday at the Trowbridge Place Partnership I chair, which met at the college, and have written to the minister renewing the offer. We would all be delighted to see her in the county town."