The planned £13m Maritime Engineering and Digital Institute of Technology aims to meet the Solent region’s future workforce needs across maritime, engineering and digital technologies.
The University of Portsmouth’s application for a share of £120 million of government capital funding for the development of a new Institute of Technology (IoT) for the region has been successful and will now progress onto the Pre-Award stage.
The planned £13m Maritime Engineering and Digital Institute of Technology aims to meet the Solent region’s future workforce needs across maritime, engineering and digital technologies. It will connect learners across the educational partners through innovative learning opportunities and an employer-led curriculum.
Solent University led the bid, working in partnership with Fareham College as the lead Further Education (FE) partner, Solent LEP and employers including AB (Ports) Southampton, IBM, DP World, Teemil and The Royal Navy. Other partners are Brockenhurst College, Eastleigh College, Havant and South Downs College and Isle of Wight College. The funds will be used to enhance learning facilities across the region, with Institute of Technology centres at each site by 2023.
The IoT will be a useful addition to the local higher education landscape for Portsmouth and the Solent, providing high quality level 4 and 5 programmes designed in conjunction with industry.
Mark Cooper, Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor (Education Partnerships) at the University of Portsmouth, said: “The IoT will be a useful addition to the local higher education landscape for Portsmouth and the Solent, providing high quality level 4 and 5 programmes designed in conjunction with industry."
Brian Johnson, Chair of the Solent Local Enterprise Partnership, says: “This is fantastic news for our region - a well-deserved result of the forward-thinking approach we've adopted with our partners, and the innovative collaboration in place between education providers and employers committed to providing people in the Solent with ambitious career pathways into high skilled jobs.
“The Institute of Technology will focus on higher technical skills across digital technologies, engineering and maritime, offering the opportunities our communities deserve and a pipeline of skills employers need for continued success. It will play a major role in helping our region to prosper, in levelling up, green innovation and developing the full potential of the Solent Freeport.”
This good news follows on from the University of Portsmouth being awarded £2million in funding from the Office for Students to expand its facilities to help address the shortage of health and social care professionals locally and nationally. The investment will enhance the learning of over 2,000 healthcare students to ensure they have the skills, knowledge and confidence to meet the changing demands of the 21st century healthcare workforce.