BLACKBURN College is one the first 18 in the country to offer a new degree course aimed at bringing academics and industry closer together.

The course, starting in October, will train computer and electronics boffins needed by local firms.

Blackburn College was one of a handful across the country which succeeded in being chosen to offer the qualification, which must reflect the needs of the local economy.

The course was designed in conjunction with local companies and aims to give students a combination of academic and practical skills.

The two-year Foundation Degree in Technology is supported by locally-based firms including BAe Systems, Ultraframe UK, Nortel Networks and Norweb Telecoms.

Students will have a choice of eight specialist areas they can concentrate on, ranging from mechanical engineering to electronics, telecommunications, software engineering and Internet technology.

At the end of the course will even have the option of converting their new qualification to an honours degree.

The course will be taught at the town centre campus and the degrees awarded by Lancaster University.

Development tutor Jenny Billingsley said college staff were pleased to be able to offer people of Blackburn with Darwen the chance to be among the first to obtain the new qualification.

She said: "The fact that we were successful in our bid is a tribute to the quality of the staff we have, and from which our new students will benefit."

Steve Wright, course tutor, said interest was already growing in the course, even before details had been publicised.

He said: "It's the biggest departure in higher education for decades."