Gloucestershire College has appointed an experienced IT and technology leader to head up its new government-funded high-level skills programme, DigiTech.
The institution was one of only 19 UK colleges chosen to receive a share of a £175 million education fund in April 2026, being selected as one of five Technical Excellence Colleges (TEC) for digital and technology in the country.
It has now appointed Dan Smale to its senior team to direct the prestigious programme, which aims to equip learners with the technical skills needed to access well-paid, high-skilled careers, 'in one of Britain’s fastest-growing industries'.
Dan brings more than 20 years’ experience spanning central government, higher education and the private sector, beginning his career as a civil servant in Cheltenham, progressing from software engineering into operational leadership roles supporting missions across the UK and internationally.
He was later the head of IT at the University of Gloucestershire, where 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.
More recently, at Gloucester-based Fasthosts, he led external partnerships, campaigns and community initiatives, while also overseeing the relocation of the company's UK headquarters to The Forum.
Dan also has an 'unwavering commitment' to continuous professional development, holding an MSc with Distinction in Computing from The Open University, where his research focused on applying artificial intelligence (AI) to network compromise detection, and a first-class BSc in Computing Informatics from the University of Plymouth.
He 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.'
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.'
