Sustainability, Smart Technology and the Future of Learning at MidKent College

In our previous MidKent College Case Study, we explored how MidKent College transformed access to technology across its campuses, moving from traditional laptop trolleys to a scalable self-service model that now supports approximately 150,000 device loans each year.

However, the story extends well beyond technology access. Through its MKC Zero programme, the college has invested heavily in sustainability, resource efficiency and future-ready infrastructure while continuing to support a growing student population and evolving curriculum needs.

We spoke with Chris Hare, Deputy CEO, and Paul Hogben, Group Director of Technology, about decarbonisation, digital transformation and how the college is preparing for the future.

Related reading: From Locked Classroom Trolleys to 150,000 Device Loans a Year

Delivering Sustainability Through MKC Zero

Sustainability is a major focus for the college. What does that look like in practice?

Chris Hare:

We have a number of priorities for the college. One of them is our decarbonisation programme, which we've been running for about three years. The aim is to become more self-sufficient, keep costs down and be smarter in the way we use our buildings and energy.

Decarbonisation is really important for the college, in terms of our use of energy and how we help the local environment. We've embarked on a huge project around decarbonising the college in terms of its use of energy.

What is MKC Zero and what are you hoping to achieve through the programme?

Paul Hogben:

MKC Zero is all around how, as a college, we can get towards our net-zero carbon figure, how we can utilise sustainable energy and look at the most effective way of utilising these resources.

It's also about training the next generation to understand the impact we all have on this world and ensuring that they leave this place better for being here.

What sustainability initiatives have been introduced across your campuses?

Chris Hare:

Zero has been a really progressive project that we've been working on for the last three years. We've invested around £17 million to decarbonise our campuses and become more self-sufficient, whether that's through PV solar, ground-source heat pumps or air-source heat pumps.

We've invested in new technology. We've used something called solar PVT, which allows us to use the energy and heat from solar panels on a large array in a car park at our Maidstone campus. It supplements the heat and makes the ground-source heat pumps more efficient. That's new technology for our sector and new for the country.

Paul Hogben:

We now have vertical and roof-based solar panels, air-source heat pumps and huge batteries that capture electricity and push it back into our systems.

Every solution, every option that's available, we try to capitalise on and bring into the college.

The Role of Technology in Supporting Sustainability

While sustainability is often associated with infrastructure and energy generation, technology also plays an important role in helping the college improve resource utilisation, extend asset lifecycles and support its wider environmental objectives.

What operational challenges were you trying to solve?

Before reviewing its approach to technology provision, the college faced a number of challenges around accessibility, resource management and equipment lifecycle.

Paul Hogben:

The main pain points were around access and resourcing for our students, ensuring the correct equipment was proportionate to the courses being studied, while also considering financial obligations and how we provide the best resources within budget.

We identified issues that could have had a better solution. For example, resources were locked away in classrooms where they weren't publicly available, while equipment was being overcharged, causing high battery replacement costs.

The trolleys had wheels, which sounds great for mobility, but it meant resources weren't always returned to where they should be, and that had a direct impact on teaching.

How does technology support your sustainability goals?

Technology plays an important role in helping the college improve resource utilisation, extend asset lifespan and reduce unnecessary waste.

Paul Hogben:

A Diplomat™ Pro Smart Locker is a laptop loaning solution that enables the charging of laptops to a controlled level rather than overcharging. This massively helps us with sustainability.

Through the ONARKEN® software, it gives a level of oversight that we were never able to have before. We're able to see which devices are in use, which devices potentially have faults and what's on loan at any one time.

Chris Hare:

During our decarbonisation project Zero, we decided that we wanted to move to more smart technology, giving better access to our students and more efficient use of our technology.

Maximising Value Through Data and Resource Visibility

For MidKent College, sustainability is not only about reducing environmental impact. It's also about ensuring investments deliver long-term value and that resources are being used as effectively as possible.

How do you ensure resources are being used as efficiently as possible?

With student numbers continuing to grow, the college focuses on maximising the value of existing resources while maintaining a high-quality student experience.

Chris Hare:

The investment has been hugely important to us because we want to make sure we get maximum efficiency from the equipment.

We have a growing population of students joining us, and we have a budget that we have to make the best use of. Using technology where we get maximum efficiency was the key component.

Paul Hogben:

From a management perspective, it allows me to understand effective utilisation and ensure resources are in the correct places for our students.

Any large-scale investment at the college, we need to make sure that we're getting the most from that. We look to take reviews along the journey to make sure that as the money is being spent, it's hitting the deliverables that the project was expecting to see and generating the outcomes on the ground for our students that we want to make sure is there.

What impact has improved visibility had for your teams?

Greater visibility has enabled the IT team to make more informed decisions about assets, utilisation and resource allocation.

Paul Hogben:

For my team, it's enabled more effective management of resources. That includes break-fix and repair, understanding where equipment is and whether resources are being used efficiently.

The software has enabled me to have a much better understanding of the assets, the resources and the effectiveness that we're seeing across the college.

In the longer term, it's given me much greater confidence because we have far better oversight of our equipment than we did a few years ago.

Improving the Student Experience Through Self-Service Technology

Alongside operational efficiencies, the college has seen significant benefits for students, helping create a culture of responsibility, ownership and independence.

Has easier access to technology changed the student experience?

Chris Hare:

The selection of LapSafe® lockers was really key because we wanted to make it easy for every student, regardless of level, location or subject area.

The loan system is self-managed and makes it very easy for the student.

We have a student voice forum that we meet with regularly, and it's consistently great feedback on those systems.

Paul Hogben:

As equipment is now allocated one-to-one to our students, there's a sense of ownership and responsibility that wasn't there before.

It's created an environment where our students are self-sufficient; they self-serve and they take responsibility.

How has the project evolved over time, and what impact has that had?

The college deliberately adopted a phased approach, allowing the team to test the concept, gather feedback and scale with confidence. Over time, the initiative has become embedded within the wider college experience.

Paul Hogben:

We wanted to start small to understand the impact and whether the solution was right for us before we invested further.

We started in a controlled space in our learning resource centres, where staff were able to provide direct feedback to IT, but were also able to provide support to our students as well.

We then scaled up over six years. It's been a long-standing project, and I've still got a few more to go, with the total aim of removing all of those laptop trolleys we discussed earlier.

The rollout initially was slow, and that was by design. We wanted to understand the effectiveness of the resource before we scaled up.

The scale-up has worked exceptionally well.

It's provided an environment where our students are now self-sufficient; they self-serve, they take their own responsibility.

We're now in a position where we're so established that students train students. One year of students are helping the next.

So, it's not just the assets and the tangibility, but it's the fringe benefits that it's providing to our students as well.

Chris Hare:

I get great feedback from students as I walk around the college.

We have a student voice forum that we meet regularly with students, and it's always continuously great feedback on those systems.

Looking Ahead

With sustainability, efficiency and student outcomes continuing to shape decision-making, the college is already looking at how technology can support the next stage of its development.

What are the college's priorities?

Paul Hogben:

We're currently building a new digital strategy. It's looking at all the facets of how technology is used and how it can drive the business forward.

Key items include digital capability and competency, automation and how business efficiencies can be brought into the organisation.

The college is always looking for the jobs that don't exist yet and ensuring we're supporting the needs of the local community and economy.

Chris Hare:

The future of the college looks great. We've got a huge demographic shift currently going on, so we've got growth in student numbers.

Having LapSafe and being able to scale those products as the business scales is really important.

Conclusion

As explored in our previous MidKent College Case Study, improving access to technology has delivered significant operational benefits across MidKent College.

This conversation highlights the broader strategy behind those improvements. From a multi-million-pound investment in decarbonisation and renewable energy to a focus on smarter resource management and long-term digital planning, the college continues to look for ways to improve efficiency while supporting both students and staff.

What emerges throughout the discussion is that sustainability is not viewed as a standalone initiative. It is embedded within decisions about technology, resource utilisation, investment and future growth. By combining environmental ambitions with practical operational improvements, MidKent College is demonstrating that progress towards net-zero goals is not just about generating renewable energy. It is also about making smarter use of the resources already available and ensuring every investment delivers long-term value.

For organisations looking to balance sustainability goals with operational demands, MidKent College's experience demonstrates that meaningful progress can come not only from major infrastructure projects, but also from making smarter use of everyday resources.