At the heart of Margate, a new creative campus is helping Kent employers build the skilled workforce they need to grow the county’s creative industries.
A fresh pipeline of skilled talent
A new generation of creatives are entering the workforce equipped with sought-after skills in the digital and creative space.
Through access to industry-standard facilities, professional-grade equipment and training in Adobe Creative Suite software, EKC Broadstairs College Margate Digital Campus equips students with the practical skills and commercial understanding needed to succeed in the workplace.
The result? Emerging creatives who are ready to add value from day one, supporting productivity, innovation and growth across the creative and digital sector.
Giving businesses a say on what’s being taught
So how are students developing the skills businesses actually need? By working directly with employers to shape what’s taught.
Local creative businesses play an active role in informing course content, ensuring students gain relevant, up‑to‑date skills that reflect current industry practice. This collaborative approach helps bridge the skills gap and creates a talent pipeline aligned to real business needs.
One local employer contributing industry expertise is stop‑motion animation studio A+C Studios, whose team co‑created the new Animation and Illustration course to ensure it reflects current industry needs.
“The new Animation and Illustration course is something that me and other people at the studio have been helping to put together, and it’s a really exciting course because it shows you a lot of different types of animation,” Founder of A+C, Dan Richardson, said.
“It also has lots of different themes where you can explore each type of animation, so you’re not pigeon-boxed into doing lots of different exercises.
“There’s loads of great equipment that students get a chance to play with and hopefully make something really, really interesting.”
The Margate Digital Campus has been developed through a partnership between EKC Group and Thanet District Council, with funding from the UK Government. It is part of wider work to improve education, skills and creative opportunities in Thanet and across Kent.
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Want to find out how you can access top talent early, get students into your business for placements, or inform our curriculum? Click here.
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