Today Castle Point MP, Rebecca Harris, and the Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education, Robert Halfon, visited USP College’s XTEND Digital Campus on Canvey Island. USP College’s XTEND Digital Campus opened its doors in 2021 and is a specialist digital campus focusing on augmented reality, virtual reality, extended reality and immersive education.

Rebecca and Robert were given a tour of the technologies present in the XTEND Digital Campus, which included a demonstration of the Immersive Room facility which the college utilises. They were also given the chance to meet with some of USP College’s Supported Internship students who study at the campus. The Immersive technology also allowed them to meet some A-Levels students at the College’s Seevic Campus.

The tour also included a visit to the motion capture studio and the volumetric studio. Here Rebecca and Robert had a 3D photo taken with students demonstrating how the technology works.

Rebecca Harris MP Harris commented:

“USP are doing the ground-work in equipping local students with skills in high-earning high-tech industries and using cutting edge teaching technologies to do it. It was fantastic to welcome the Minister to the XTEND campus on Canvey to see this teaching in action. I urge residents of any age who want to learn new skills, or businesses that want to upskill their workforce to get in touch with USP and explore the courses and amazing facilities on offer on our doorstep.”

Dan Pearson, USP College CEO and Principal said:

“Some of the technologies utilised at our XTEND Digital Campus are a first to the UK and relatively new in the education space. The future of education is going to be led by how we utilise technologies like these, and it was a pleasure to have the Minister and our local MP here to see some of this for themselves.”