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Gateshead College Marks 80th Anniversary with Inspiring Story of Lifelong Learning

As Gateshead College celebrates its 80th anniversary, one student is giving that milestone a powerful new meaning. Judith Lewis, a recent graduate of the college’s Skills Bootcamp in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, also marked her 80th birthday this year, proving that it’s never too late to learn something new. 

Determined to continue challenging herself after retirement, Judith enrolled on the college’s Level 5 Skills Bootcamp to gain a deeper understanding of AI and explore new career paths in the tech sector.

“I’d already completed a Women in Tech course at Durham University, which introduced me to the breadth of the digital world,” Judith said. “When I saw the AI and machine learning course at Gateshead College, I thought, ‘Why not?’” 

The course wasn’t without its challenges. “After the first lecture, I was struggling and couldn’t load the data,” Judith admitted. “But my tutor, John McKechnie, was brilliant. He guided me through it, and once things clicked, I was off.”

Throughout the programme, Judith explored key areas such as data cleaning, machine learning, and AI ethics a subject she found particularly compelling. 
“It’s such a hot topic, constantly in the news. The whole course was fascinating, but the ethics really stuck with me,” she said.

Graduating with a merit, Judith is now exploring roles where she can bridge the gap between business and technology ideally as a consultant or insight analyst who can translate business needs for technical teams. Judith’s journey into tech is even more remarkable given her previous career: for 18 years, she ran a successful specialist fabric business supplying film, TV, and theatre productions including major titles like Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Into the Woods. 

“It all started by accident,” she laughed. “One of my orders ended up being Johnny Depp’s top hat in Alice and Wonderland. From there, it just grew.” 
Now, she’s reinventing herself once again with the support of Gateshead College.

“The vibe at the college was amazing. You felt uplifted, like you were really part of something,” she said. “The support from tutors made all the difference.” 

As for her advice to others considering a return to education later in life? “Keep at it. And when you hit a wall, ask for help. The support is there you just have to take it.” 

As Gateshead College looks to the future, stories like Judith’s highlight the power of lifelong learning and the college’s ongoing mission: transforming lives through education, no matter your age.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Rachael Heron .