State-of-the-art tech lab unveiled in Birmingham

The UK’s largest educator in artificial intelligence and coding has unveiled new £2.5 million state-of-the-art facilities in Birmingham aimed at increasing accessibility and inclusiveness in higher education.

For the start of the new academic year, School of Coding & AI has transformed the disused upper floor of its Birmingham campus into a showcase of AI and technology innovation.

Mayor Richard Parker and Manny Athwal, CEO and Founder of School of Coding & AI

For the start of the new academic year, School of Coding & AI has transformed the disused upper floor of its Birmingham campus into a showcase of AI and technology innovation.

The facility includes:

• AI labs
• An interactive AI avatar
• Game design facilities
• A podcast room
• An in-house research centre
• Computing classrooms

School of Coding & AI opened their campus earlier this year in partnership with the University of Wolverhampton. At the start of the year, 800 students were enrolled, with 500 more beginning this month. The team now includes 13 highly skilled lecturers across computer science, business management, and health and social care.

Manny Athwal, School of Coding & AI founder and CEO, said: “Our core belief is that education should be accessible, inclusive, and empowering. This isn’t just about technology for technology’s sake. We’ve built more than classrooms – this is a space where students can experiment, innovate, and be inspired.”

The development was officially opened by Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, who has set out bold ambitions to make the West Midlands the UK leader in AI skills training as part of his Growth Plan.

The goal is to give every adult in the region free training in how to use AI in their everyday lives at home, work or in the community, with further opportunities for thousands more to develop the technical skills needed to land jobs in an increasingly technology dominated workplace.

Mayor Richard Parker said: “I’ve enjoyed seeing first-hand the work being done in the AI training and skills space at School of Coding. As jobs become increasingly digital and data-driven, AI will become a core skill just like English or Maths that people use in their everyday lives, at work, home or in the community.

"I'm making AI skills training a priority and easily available to everyone, so no one is left behind. My goal is to make the West Midlands the UK leader for AI skills."

Jathin Babu Kante, centre manager,  said: “Our priority is to change the lives of our students. We don’t want them to just sit there, learn and go away. We want them to feel like they’re part of something bigger.”

Many of the students at the Birmingham campus are adults who haven’t accessed education in years - some struggle with basic digital literacy or confidence in a classroom setting. Jathin and his team work to ensure they have the tools, support and comfort needed to thrive.

“We try to make their experience easier, not overwhelming. From laptops to published resources, we will provide them with the resources they need for them to have a better experience.

“Our vision is to build a world-class space that makes people say ‘wow’ the moment they walk in. If they don’t, we’re not delivering.”