"Institutes of Technology" to strengthen vocational training

The government has announced the location of 12 "Institutes of Technology" in England, intended to provide high quality vocational training.

The aim is to offer young people a professional alternative to universities.

Employers will support the institutes, most of which will revolve around existing colleges and universities.

The dozen include four London-based, two West Midlands and six Milton Keynes, Swindon, Durham, Exeter, York and Somerset.

Prime Minister Theresa May said they would "end misconceptions" that promote professional skills.

But Labor said the plans were too small and that they would not be helpful to the "overwhelming majority" of students in technical education.

Vocational training has often been perceived as being underserved by the education system, with a higher status being given to young people on academic paths, through GCSEs, A levels and universities.

Training gap

The idea of ​​creating a network of Institutes of Technology is to create a high quality path to acquire skills and technical qualifications, comparable to a university.

They will open their doors from autumn, with funding of £ 170m.

The institutes, located in colleges and universities of higher education, will each have a specialization in the sector and will appeal to the skills of the employers concerned.

For example, the Durham-planned institute will involve local colleges, Newcastle University and Nissan, specializing in "advanced digital fabrication".

In East London, Queen Mary University in London will head a group with Newham College and employers, including Siemens, specializing in transportation and engineering.

There have been warnings that, according to international standards, the number of people trained for advanced professional skills is relatively low in England.

The review of funding for higher education, chaired by financier Philip Augar, was apparently aimed at finding ways to improve access to student funding for vocational training courses.

It is planned to introduce next year a new technical qualification, Level T, which is the last attempt to create a professional equivalent of the A-level.

More flexible system

"I firmly believe that education is the key to creating opportunities for all – but to give our young people the skills they need to succeed, we need an education system. and more flexible and diversified training than it currently is, "said the Prime Minister. Minister.

"These new institutes will help put an end to the outdated ideas that going to university is the only desirable path and putting in place a system that harnesses the talents of our youth," said Ms. May.

Matthew Fell, Policy Director of the CBI Business Group, said, "Developing high quality technical education and training is a top priority for employers, who will welcome this additional investment."

The institutes will be the "summit of technical training," said Education Secretary Damian Hinds.

He hoped that they "would ensure that young people acquire the skills they need to build a well-paying and rewarding career, while the economy will recruit the skilled workers it needs to be more productive" .

According to Angela Rayner, Secretary of State for Labor Education, the institutes did not match the scale of the demand.

"While investments in continuing education are essential, this announcement will do nothing for the vast majority of providers and students in technical training," said Rayner.

She said the funding did not replace the money already lost for the supplementary education and adult budgets – and that the proposed institutes did not sufficiently cover the country.

"When they announced this policy for the first time a few years ago, the government announced that they would offer high-level technical education in all areas, yet this list does not include any universities or colleges. college in the northwest, "she said.

The main creators of the Institutes of Technology are:

• Barking and Dagenham College, East London
• Dudley College of Technology, West Midlands
• Harrow College and Uxbridge College, West London
• Milton Keynes College, Buckinghamshire
• New College Durham, North East of England
• Queen Mary University London, East London
• Solihull College and University Center, West London
• Aston University, Birmingham
• Swindon College, Wiltshire
• University of Exeter, Devon
• Weston College of Higher and Higher Education, Somerset
• York College, York