New Barking & Dagenham College science lab opened

The lab was part funded by the College and part funded by the GLA’s Skills for Londoners Capital Fund.

Ann McDaniel explained: “This new lab will complement our existing facilities which include one of only four specialist FE Stem provision centres nationally. 

“The science industry is a key employer and there are a variety of career paths including health and digital jobs. Combining science skills with digital skills is really important for our learners’ future career paths and next door to the new science lab, we have a digital lab too.

“We are utilising the latest technologies; for example, students can begin by completing a mock experiment on a computer and then come to the actual science lab to complete it for real. We also have new robotic technology which students can use to learn coding.”

Aspiring pharmacist 19 year old student Elizabeth Otusanya from Dagenham was at the opening and demonstrated an experiment to Yvonne Kelly. Elizabeth said: “The new lab is very good; we have more equipment and space for everyone to work at the same time. I’m hoping to going to university in September, I’ve got offers to study at Pharmacy at the University of East Anglia and also to study Pharmaceutical Science at Kingston University.”