colleges came together to deliver interactive activities focused on cyber skills and STEM education to groups of visiting Year 9 and 10 pupils from secondary schools.
All of Lancashire’s secondary schools also got the chance to take part in a special virtual cyber lesson, delivered by the TeenTech organisation.
Groups of 16 to 18-year-olds visited Edge Hill University, Lancaster University, and the University of Central Lancashire to experience what studying a cyber-related subject would be like at degree level.
A ‘technology discovery day’ specifically designed to encourage more girls to consider a career in cyber was also held at Chorley Town Hall.
The CyberFirst MEGA event, which was produced by the IN4.0 Group, saw hundreds of girls aged 12 and 13 getting to grips with the latest AI, VR and robotic technologies.
Lancashire Cyber Partnership is a strategic collaboration between the county council, the University of Central Lancashire, Lancaster University, BAE Systems, and the NCF. The week was part of the 2025 Lancashire Cyber Festival.
The Lancashire Cyber Partnership works to
ensure all Lancashire residents feel the benefit of the county’s growing cyber economy
In addition, teams of Lancashire university students took part in a countywide virtual ‘capture the flag’ contest run by the cyber consultancy, Punk Security.
And more than 40 primary schools took part in cyber-themed online assemblies created by the specialist tech education charity, TechSheCan.
BAE Systems and STEMFirst ran a series of tactile and hands-on tech workshops for nine and ten- year-olds at the University of Central Lancashire.
Frankly Speaking GROWTH: WILL WE
MISS THE BOAT AGAIN? By Frank McKenna
Downtown Lancashire in Business
By May 2026 Lancashire could be the only part of the North West without an elected mayor and a significant devolution deal with the government.
Despite the best efforts of the Deputy Prime Minister, alongside the county council and Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool, I am still not convinced that Lancashire will be part of the latest round of devo-deals and will instead enter another period of introspection as it attempts to reconfigure local government structures across the county.
The current proposals suggest three unitary authorities to work alongside a new mayoral-led Combined Authority, but sceptics worry that this will be the latest in a long line of devo-delays and missed opportunities that will lead to further local acrimony and deadlock.
Already West Lancashire has raised concerns of a new authority which combines it with South Ribble and Chorley, whilst the joining together of Preston and Lancaster smacks of a political fix rather than a sensible proposal based on economic considerations.
The potential lack of a ‘champion’ for Lancashire, coupled with the inability to attract additional funds from central government that Manchester, Liverpool, and now Cheshire and Cumbria, are likely to draw down once they elect mayors next year, would be disappointing and frustrating.
But do any business leaders have confidence in Lancashire’s political leaders to make progress on this agenda in a few months, when they have failed to do so for many years?
To add to the woes of those of us who see the county as an integral part of the growth agenda, recently published local plans have downgraded housing numbers – a blow to developers, and potentially to the extent to which the much-trumpeted National Cyber Force initiative will now invest in Lancashire.
A messy local government re-organisation. Labour councils hindering its own government’s ambitious housebuilding targets, a possible delay in the establishment of a mayor. None of this suggests that Lancashire politicians are really up for that growth agenda the government is striving for.
A spokesperson 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.
“It’s fantastic that so many young people from across Lancashire got to take part, and see what their own future in cyber could look like.”
November 2024 Good overall,
Outstanding where it matters
Outstanding in Adult
Learning Programmes Outstanding in
Education Programmes for Young People
Outstanding in Personal Development
Outstanding in Behaviour & Attitudes
blackburn.ac.uk
LANCASHIREBUSINES SV
IEW.CO.UK
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