7 FEB 2017

£170 Million Pledged For Institutes Of Technology

Way back in May 2015 we reported on the UK's need to strengthen our STEM skilled workforce as employers, on average, could not fill 25% of their vacancies where skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths were required.

Way back in May 2015 we reported on the UK's need to strengthen our STEM skilled workforce as employers, on average, could not fill 25% of their vacancies where skills in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths were required. Given this, the news that Theresa May has pledged £170 for institutes of technology comes as a welcome proposal. But how will it all work?

What Does the Industrial Strategy Propose?

Theresa May’s strategy involves overhauling education for those who don’t go to University. This will be achieved through the setting up of 'prestigious' institutes of technology that will focus on providing high-level Further Education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM subjects) to school leavers. The aim will be to provide these students with the same opportunities and respect currently granted to University Graduates. The thousands of technical qualifications currently offered, many of which are seen as low quality, will be replaced with 15 high quality technical routes designed to meet the needs of industry and teach skills in demand from local employers. Courses will involve both College and placement work and a new UCAS-style system will be introduced to help those searching and applying for technical courses to attain clear information and support, helping them to chose the best course for them. The plan will also see specialist maths schools being set up using the free school model, following the success of such institutions at Exeter and Kings College. These schools are then set to team up with University maths departments in order to boost the standards of education.

UK Career Opportunities for Post-Brexit Britain

Theresa May believes this industrial strategy will shape the nation’s future for success post-Brexit, asserting “Our modern industrial strategy is a critical part of our plan for post-Brexit Britain.” Whether young people pick a University education or a technical route, they will gain the crucial skills required for good job opportunities. Theresa May plans to drive job growth nationwide and confirmed that the Northern Powerhouse will form part of the strategy to boost industry. She also spoke of the aim to improve living standards, productivity and economic growth, to make the UK one of the most competitive places in the world to grow a business. The Government outlined their industrial strategy in The Green Paper where they underlined our need to “become a more innovative economy and do more to commercialise our world leading science base to drive growth across the UK.”

Haven't we tried this before?

Many of you will remember that this is not the Governments first foray into improving the UK's technical education offering. Back in 2010, the first University Technical College (UTC) was opened. UTC's are schools for 14- to 19-year-olds and specialise in a vocation or trade, such as Engineering at Staffordshire or Photography, Graphics and Film Studies at Elstree, while still delivering a broadly academic curriculum. The problem is, UTC's have not exactly been a success, with 10% either closed or due to close imminently and many others struggling, mainly because they have not been able to recruit enough students. Despite this worrying trend, there is an important difference between institutes of technology and UTCs that means we are much more hopeful about the IoT's chances of success. Where UTC's require students to start at 14, right when they are settled into secondary school and gearing up for GCSE's, they have to compete against schools for pupils. They face the challenge of convincing pupils and parents of the benefits of switching to this less traditional route, and often the students who switch do so because they aren't coping within the existing system. Institutes of technology, on the other hand, will start at 16 and so will be competing against 6th Form Colleges and Universities. At this point, post GCSE's, there is a more natural break in the education system where pupils are considering their options and futures more carefully. If the Government succeeds in creating in institutes of technology a viable and enticing alternative to the traditional education route, which certainly doesn't entice everyone, then they stand every chance of success in strengthening the UK's technical education provision.

Is it enough?

Given the fact that encouraging and inspiring students to take up these technical routes will be key to their success, we are happy to hear about the planned review by Professor Sir Adrian Smith which will set out proposals to incentivise students to take on STEM courses as well as address regional imbalances in the number of students progressing to higher-level qualifications. There are, however, unanswered questions. Would institutes of technology students require loans? What would the qualifications be called? Is it a two-tier system? Sally Hunt for FE Week described it as “Another grandiose vision” leaving just £20m per region. Despite these concerns, there will be a shift in careers advice and an increase in options available to young people, so we are hopeful the current situation of poor STEM skills will be reversed and the UK will be able to address the shortfall in industry.