Higher Technical
Education Update
Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills (): Higher Technical
Qualifications (HTQs) are a key part of our skills reforms,
addressing skills shortages and employer demand. We are now
approaching the end of the first year of delivery, which has seen
over 70 providers across the country able to offer 31 digital
HTQs, and more qualifications are being taught from this
September in construction and health and science. Today, the
Secretary of State and I will be joining with providers,
employers, learners and others to celebrate these successes.
This Government is committed to the success of HTQs, providing
£70 million of funding to help providers build their capacity to
deliver excellent higher technical training. We are also
investing £300 million in prestigious, employer-led, Institutes
of Technology, which will further support the teaching of HTQs.
Building on this, I am pleased to announce the launch of a second
round of the Higher Technical Education Skills Injection Fund
(SIF), which will provide up to £48 million of funding to support
providers in delivering HTQs in occupational areas including
digital, engineering and manufacturing, and protective services
in the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years.
The SIF offers both capital and resource funding, supporting
providers to purchase industry-standard specialised equipment,
market their qualifications, upskill staff, develop their
curriculum, and more. This will further support the growth of
high-quality level 4 and 5 provision that meets the growing
employer demand for higher technical skills, helping raise
productivity and unlock potential.
Details of the SIF, including how providers can apply and details
of webinars to provider support and guidance, will be published
on GOV.UK today.
I am pleased to also announce that details of the 66
qualifications which have been approved as HTQs in the latest
cycle will be published on the Institute for Apprenticeships and
Technical Education’s website today.
I would also like to use this statement to thank those employers
and providers who have already helped develop and deliver HTQs,
and encourage others to do so. Working together we can ensure
more people climb the ladder of opportunity to long-term job
security and prosperity.
More information about HTQs is available from https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/higher-technical-qualification-overview
FE Capital
Funding Update
Minister for Apprenticeships and Skills (): Today I am announcing
details of the government’s capital investment of up to £140
million to enable colleges, academies and schools to add
additional capacity where there is a pressing need for places for
16–19-year-olds in their local area, given local demographic
pressures.
Over forty projects across England have been offered funding. I
will deposit a copy of the list of projects in the Libraries of
both Houses. This investment will help learners gain the skills
they need to progress and help the economy to grow. This
investment should be seen in the context of the £1.5bn being
invested through the FE Capital Transformation Fund in making FE
colleges excellent places to learn; the £150 million for capital
investment to all colleges (FE and Sixth Form) to support their
transition to the public sector; the £500 million of capital
funding to all schools and colleges in 2022-23 to improve energy
efficiency; the £400m of T Level capital funding made available
to post-16 providers to give them the facilities they need to
deliver these new skills focused qualifications; and the wider
programmes of revenue and capital funding which support post-16
education.
The government has an ambitious skills agenda, backed by £3.8
billion of investment over this Parliament. We are using this to
build a skills system that is employer focused, high quality, and
fit for the future – so skills training is aligned to the needs
of employers to enable communities to thrive, underpinned by
impartial, lifelong careers advice and guidance.
This investment should be seen in the wider context of our
reforms to skills and further education. Through this funding, we
will extend excellent education to young people where it is
needed. This will provide them with the ladder of opportunity to
fulfil their potential whether it’s through good jobs or
additional education.
