First twelve 'Institutes of Technology' announced

Twelve 'Institutes of Technology' which are collaborations between universities, colleges, and employers, will be set up to improve young people's STEM skills.

Firms include Nissan, Siemens and Microsoft and the institutes will specialise in delivering quality higher level technical training (at Level 4 and 5) in STEM subjects, such as digital, advanced manufacturing and engineering.

In December 2018 the Education Secretary set out his 10 year ambition to improve the UK's skills so more young people have the same high-quality training opportunities with clear pathways to skilled jobs as those in top performing technical education countries like Germany.

Research shows that only around 7 per cent of people in England aged between 18 and 65 are undertaking training at Level 4 or 5 – one of the lowest rates in the OECD. Only around 190,000 people are currently studying for qualifications at this level compared with around 2 million studying across Level 3 (A Level or equivalent) and Level 6 (Degree level).

The twelve Institutes will be backed by £170 million of Government investment so they have access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities and will tap into the latest research from their university partners to anticipate the skills needs of the future workplace. They will also benefit from additional support from local employers and partners, who will contribute valuable resources such as further investment, seconded teaching staff and equipment.

Institutes will build on and complement the further and higher education on offer in the areas where they are located but will have their own distinct identity and physical presence. Some will be located in refurbished buildings, others will build new facilities on new or current sites.

They will provide a natural progression route for young people taking T Levels or A Levels (Level 3) enabling them to take the next step up to higher level technical education and training (Level 4 or 5) – like Foundation Degrees and higher level apprenticeships in STEM subjects – helping to upskill the next generation and ensure employers can access a high-quality pipeline of talent.