- Students to benefit from £48 million investment to expand
high-quality alternatives to traditional degrees
- Colleges and schools to receive share of £140 million to
transform their facilities
- Part of a significant ongoing Government investment to plug
skills gaps and boost the economy
Students up and down the country are set to benefit from more
opportunities to embark on a high-quality alternative to a
traditional degree, as part of a major investment in skills so
people can access training to secure great jobs and grow the
economy.
The £48 million Skills Injection Fund (SIF) is being launched
today to boost the rollout of Higher Technical Qualifications
(HTQs). HTQs are technical courses at levels 4 and 5 which
equip students from all backgrounds with the high-quality,
higher-level skills needed to secure well-paying jobs, like
software developer or construction site supervisor. They also
help to meet local labour market needs and boost local economies.
The new investment will allow colleges and other providers to
deliver more HTQs by funding specialist equipment, facilities,
and upskilling staff.
Meanwhile, more than 40 schools and colleges will receive a share
of £140 million to transform their facilities to meet demographic
increases in young people aged 16 to 19. This could include
building more classroom space or technical teaching facilities,
so that more students have access to high quality learning
environments and projects that will set them on a path to
success.
Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education
said:
“Supporting people from all backgrounds to embark on high-quality
technical courses, armed with the skills they need to climb the
ladder of opportunity, is crucial to building a world-class
skills nation.
“Boosting funding to support the delivery of Higher Technical
Qualifications and ensuring that schools and colleges have the
space they need to provide all students with top notch training
is essential to achieving parity of esteem with traditional
degrees and plugging skills gaps in key sectors.”
The rollout of HTQs is a key part of the Government’s post-18
skills reform to grow high-quality Level 4 and 5 qualifications,
building towards the Lifelong Loan Entitlement. The previous
round of the SIF distributed over £21 million to 85 providers,
boosting skills training across the country. This includes
Manchester City College which used the funding to build a digital
lab contributing to the growing media and TV sector.
Further Education colleges and other providers have been invited
to apply for a share of the Skills Injection Fund, with new
courses starting September 2024. This includes courses in
Education & Childcare and Engineering & Manufacturing
which will help to produce a pipeline of talent that will plug
skills gaps in these key sectors.
Both rounds of funding are part of the Government’s plans to
transform technical education and training to ensure that young
people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to gain the
skills they need to succeed and provide local employers with
access to the skilled workforce they need to grow. This builds on
the £165 million Local Skills Improvement Fund announced earlier
this month, which will provide tailored funding to plug local
skills gaps across the country. These transformative measures
will revolutionise skills training to meet local needs and help
fulfil the Prime Minister’s priority of boosting the
economy.
ENDS
Notes to editors:
· To see a full list of
schools and colleges set to receive the Post-16 Capacity fund,
visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/post-16-capacity-fund-2021-to-2022-successful-applicationshere
· The application window to
apply for the second round of the Skills Injection Fund formally
opens today and will close at 11.59pm on Friday 21st July.
· To see a full list of
previous Skills Injection Fund recipients, visit: Higher technical education
skills injection fund - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
· The Secretary of State and
Minister Halfon will be joining a range of employers, HTQ
providers and students at a reception in Parliament today to
celebrate the success of HTQs and their first year of
teaching.