The Rt Hon Iain Duncan-Smith MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and Stuart Pearce MBE, Head Coach for the England Under-21s football team, visited Burton and South Derbyshire College to launch a new Microsoft IT Academy.

The VIPs met with current students and business customers before conducting an official opening ceremony to launch the college’s new facilities.

The college launched the Academy after a report by e-skills UK highlighted that the technology profession needs another 110,000 recruits this year alone, with the IT and Telecoms Industry set to grow at five times the national average over the next decade.

Dawn Ward OBE, Chief Executive and Principal at Burton and South Derbyshire College, said: “Colleges have a vital role to play in supporting people of all ages to develop the knowledge and skills relevant to employment trends.” She added: “The Microsoft Academy is yet another example of the college working with high profile companies in order to meet skills gaps and to give our students the best possible chance of career success.”