Telecommunications giant TalkTalk donates laptops to students in need

5th February 2021

Salford-based connectivity provider TalkTalk have donated 30 Chromebooks to students in need of technological support at Salford City College Group. 

Due to the ongoing pandemic, schools and colleges have been forced to move to remote digital learning. For some students, this has been a challenge. With the reliance on technology, some families have not been able to provide the resources for their child’s education.

For John Eadie, a Civil Engineering student at City Skills, the recent changes to learning have been a struggle. He explained: “I haven’t got access to a laptop at home and so I have been really struggling to complete my coursework”. John is also studying for his Maths and English GCSE’s and the lack of technology has led him to fall behind.

However, upon receiving his laptop John said: “I am now confident that I can catch up on my work and complete my coursework on time.”

Thanks to the donation of 30 Chromebooks from TalkTalk, students from across the colleges will now be able to work remotely. Daniel Kasmir, Chief People Officer at TalkTalk, said: “We’re pleased that we’ve been able to work with Salford City Council to help provide some new tech devices for Salford City College Group. We know the pressures facing our young people in education right now, and the importance of reliable connectivity and having suitable tech. Hopefully this contribution will support students with their learning whilst we navigate the knock-on effects of the pandemic.”

Another student benefitting from the recent donation is Eccles Sixth Form College student Fatou Thiam. Whilst studying Business, Criminology and Travel and Tourism, Fatou has had to rely on a games console to access the internet. She explained: “I have been using my family’s PlayStation in order to access Microsoft Teams. However, this hasn’t allowed me to complete my work to the best of my ability.”

She added: “I’m excited to use the new Chromebook in order to complete my assignments and interact in my online lessons.”

A spokesperson at Salford City College Group said: “This donation will help our students immensely. We are very grateful to TalkTalk and Salford City Council for helping us to provide more technology to our students who are struggling with accessibility.”

If you have any enquiries, please email enquiries@salfordcc.ac.uk