New Institutes of Technology Announced

The Department for Education has announced that 12 Institutes of Technology (IoT) will be set up across the country.

The University of Lincoln has led a collaborative bid with regional employers and colleges to establish an Institute in Lincolnshire which will specialise in agri-tech, food manufacturing, energy, digital and engineering. The bid is now nearing the final stages of approval.

Institutes of Technology are unique collaborations between employers, higher and further education providers. They will specialise in delivering higher-level technical skills which aim to help close skills gaps and improve productivity. The Government is backing the new institutes with £170million of capital funding.

Prime Minister Theresa May announced the Institutes (on 10 April) and said: “I firmly believe that education is key to opening up opportunity for everyone – but to give our young people the skills they need to succeed, we need an education and training system which is more flexible and diverse than it is currently.

“New technologies are transforming the world of work, and to harness the opportunities on offer we must equip our future workforce with the technical skills they need to thrive, and that the economy needs to grow.”

Professor Toby Wilkinson, Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University Lincoln, said: “We are delighted to have progressed to the final stage in our collaborative bid to establish a Lincolnshire Institute of Technology.

“By bringing together anchor employers and further education colleges from across Greater Lincolnshire with the University of Lincoln, supported by the Local Enterprise Partnership, we have developed a compelling case for capital investment in new facilities to provide higher-level technical skills to learners across the county.

“Our region has a proud record of delivering new innovation and skills in science, engineering and technology; we believe the Lincolnshire Institute of Technology will further add to the range of opportunities available to young people and adult learners, transforming skills and enabling local businesses to grow and succeed.”

The University of Lincoln has led a collaborative bid with employers and FE colleges across Greater Lincolnshire to establish a Lincolnshire Institute of Technology which will specialise in agri-tech and food manufacturing, energy and engineering, with a unifying digital theme. The successful Lincolnshire Institute of Technology bid brings together the University of Lincoln, Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, DN Colleges Group (North Lindsey College), Bishop Burton College (Riseholme College), Boston College, Grantham College, Lincoln College, Lincoln UTC, Siemens Industrial Turbomachinery Ltd, Bakkavor Plc and Olympus Automation Limited, with the support of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership and CATCH.