DAN Smale has been appointed Gloucestershire College’s new Director of Digitech, as it builds on its reputation as a Technical Excellence College.

Dan has more than 20 years experience spanning central government, higher education and the private sector, and has extensive cross-sector expertise in technology leadership, digital transformation and operational delivery.

Dan Smale said: “I am delighted to be joining Gloucestershire College as Director of DigiTech and am excited to play a key role in delivering the College’s Technical Excellence College programme for Digital and Technologies.

“The opportunity to work with learners, colleagues and employer partners to develop the high-level technical skills needed for the future workforce is incredibly exciting. I look forward to building on the strong foundations already in place, strengthening industry partnerships and helping to create new opportunities for learners across Gloucestershire.”

He began his career as a Civil Servant in Cheltenham, progressing from software engineering into operational leadership roles supporting missions across the UK and internationally. During this time, he held responsibility for service ownership and accountability, while collaborating with government departments and international partners.

Later, Dan moved into higher education as Head of IT at the University of Gloucestershire, where he led the IT team with responsibility for infrastructure, business systems, service desk operations and data.

He was instrumental in delivering the university's IT strategy and supporting the institution to become one of the first universities in the UK to achieve Cyber Essentials Plus certification.

Andy Bates, Chief Financial Officer at Gloucestershire College, said: “We were proud to be recognised by the Department for Education as a Technical Excellence College. Dan’s extensive experience across technology, education and industry will be a great asset as we continue to forge strong partnerships with employers and expand our delivery of employer-led digital skills through DigiTech.”

You can read more about the college via its website.