Spotlight on AI and cyber security at Telford College event

Telford College has kicked off a new series of employer networking events with a seminar exploring the fast‑moving worlds of artificial intelligence and cyber security.

The free event, which attracted businesses from across the region, featured presentations from a range of expert speakers and gave delegates the chance to join a guided tour of facilities at the Wellington campus.

Sarah Davies, Telford College’s executive director for partnerships and employer engagement, told delegates: “We really value your feedback, and are keen to hold events such as this more regularly, looking at a wide variety of themes.

“We want to make sure employers have a strong and consistent voice in our decision‑making. If you know what your end goal is, but are unsure what’s required to get there, that’s where we can step in and help.”

Dan Vaughan, business change consultant at Capgemini, urged employers not to ‘outsource their thinking’ as they strive to adopt fast-developing artificial intelligence platforms.

He said companies often overestimated the short‑term impact of new technology in the workplace, but underestimated the scale of change it will bring in the long term.

“There is a lot of excitement and hype around AI, but also an underlying sense of fear and ambiguity,” he said. “The question isn’t whether we are using AI now – it’s how well we are using it, and how well we will use it in the future.”

Dr Haider Al‑Khateeb, deputy director of the Cyber Security Innovation Centre at Aston University in Birmingham, outlined some key issues surrounding the adoption of artificial intelligence, emphasising the importance of collaboration.

He spoke about the dilemmas facing many employers – particularly the need for ‘balancing privacy with opportunities to solve problems’.

“AI can support the way we do things, but it also introduces an element of risk to our businesses,” he said. “The way we address this is attracting a lot of attention at the moment. Yes, there is risk, but there are also high rewards.”

Detective sergeant Craig Edwards, from the Regional Cyber Crime Unit, also gave an insight into the work being done by police to inform and protect businesses from increasingly sophisticated cyber‑criminal networks.

Telford College principal and chief executive Lawrence Wood earlier outlined the college’s newly updated strategic plan, with a focus on driving economic growth through innovative and impactful partnerships.

“I don’t believe colleges are just qualification factories,” he said. “Employers are looking for people with other skills too; communication, teamwork, the ability to think on their feet and take initiative.

“We also want to ensure all our staff have up‑to‑date skills and knowledge, and understand what the modern workplace is like.”