Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) will draw on the experience and expertise of Institutes of Technology (IoTs), which have shown the benefits of collaborative working between employers, further education providers, and universities.

As system leaders, TECs have the autonomy and flexibility to shape and determine their partnerships locally and nationally, but the department has made it clear in our guidance that we expect TECs to work with IoT Partnerships. Many of the appointed TECs are part of existing IoTs.

All TECs will deliver via a hub and spoke model, working in collaboration with a network of providers to ensure that learners and employers across the country benefit. This way of working is critical to TEC success, which is why TECs are actively working together and with industry to ensure a cohesive system, supported by the department and other relevant governmental departments.

As part of its work with employers, providers and others across the skills system, Skills England will enable Institutes of Technology (IoTs) to support the delivery of skills local employers need, as aligned to the needs of national priority sectors.

Skills England will work with mayoral strategic authorities and other forms of regional government and local organisations, such as employer representative bodies, to ensure that regional and national skills needs are met. Skills England will oversee the Local Skills Improvement Plans (LSIPs) programme, including where LSIPs have identified IoTs’ role in meeting local skills needs.

Skills England will continue to set out evidence and insights into skills gaps in the economy, building on the publication of its first report in September 2024.

Skills England will work with Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs) and Institutes of Technology (IoTs) to ensure they are supported in delivering the skills that local employers need, as aligned to the needs of national priority sectors.

The government will transform further education colleges into specialist TECs to deliver the priority skills needed by employers to help drive economic growth at local and national level. This starts with £100 million, announced as part of a wider construction skills package, to establish ten construction TECs, with one in every English region to deliver the skills required to support the government’s Plan for Change in building 1.5 million homes by the end of this Parliament. TECs will work with IoTs as part of wider sectoral collaboration to ensure skills gaps across regions are addressed and the skills employers need to grow the economy are delivered.

The Department values the approach of the institutes of technology, which bring together education and industry to develop and deliver curriculums related to local employers and create sustainable pathways for talent development. We will continue to work with IOTs —including Swindon and Wiltshire IOT—in developing our strategy for post-16 skills.

What recent progress she has made on determining the future of the Institutes of Technology.

IOTs bring together further education and higher education providers to deliver higher level technical qualifications including degrees and apprenticeships. I could offer to meet my hon. Friend, but I am sure he would much prefer to meet my noble Friend the Skills Minister from the other place. I will raise his request with her.

I thank the Minister for her response. Would she consider meeting me so that we can work together on growing IOTs like Swindon, especially given their degree-awarding powers?

The Stimulating Physics Network has been working to improve the knowledge, skills and confidence of non-specialist science teachers in secondary schools, with outstanding results: in schools that take part, there are 6% more A-level physics entrants, and 29% more girls taking physics. That compares with 13% in schools that do not take part. However, funding for the scheme has been cancelled from 31 March, which is a considerable problem for constituencies like mine, which has a need for science, technology, engineering and maths—STEM—skills, due to the needs of the defence sector. What plans does the Minister have to fill the gap left by the SPN, in order to ensure that the value of physics teaching in schools is maintained, and to reassure teachers, including my constituent Thom, who have been committed to delivering the SPN?

We absolutely support girls and young women to take STEM subjects. It is interesting that the Conservatives did funding mid-year, which is unusual. As I am sure that they will be aware, hard decisions need to be made because of the difficult fiscal situation inherited by this Government. We will continue to do more to get girls into STEM subjects; we are absolutely committed to this.

The department values the collaborative approach between further education, higher education and employers developed by Institutes of Technology (IoT) which has allowed them to develop and deliver a curriculum that is responsive to the needs of employers in the area they serve. The work of IoTs looks to address both immediate skills gaps and also create sustainable pathways for talent development, which are essential for economic resilience.

We will continue to work with the IoT Network as we develop our strategy for post-16 education and skills.

Technical Excellence Colleges will support a focus on higher technical skills and link to local growth plans. These colleges will work with businesses, trade unions and local government to provide young people and adults with better job opportunities and the highly trained workforce that local economies need.

The department will be setting out further details on Technical Excellence Colleges in due course.

The collaborative approach between further education, higher education and employers developed by Institutes of Technology (IoTs) is valued. The department will be working with the sector as we develop our strategy for post-16 education and skills.

Information on the number of students that took higher technical education courses (those at, or above, level 4) at IoTs are set out in the table below.

*The department changed the way the data was collected and presented from 2021/22 academic year. The figures for 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years are for learner starts at levels 4 and 5. The figures for 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years are for learner cohorts for level 4+ (including level 6 and above).

The collaborative approach between further education, higher education and employers developed by Institutes of Technology (IoTs) is valued. The department will be working with the sector as we develop our strategy for post-16 education and skills.

Information on the number of students that took higher technical education courses (those at, or above, level 4) at IoTs are set out in the table below.

*The department changed the way the data was collected and presented from 2021/22 academic year. The figures for 2019/20 and 2020/21 academic years are for learner starts at levels 4 and 5. The figures for 2021/22, 2022/23 and 2023/24 academic years are for learner cohorts for level 4+ (including level 6 and above).

From January 2022, the department has moved away from delivering individual campaigns for each policy product and started delivery of joined up, audience-led campaigns under the banner of Skills for Life, which covers T Levels, Institutes of Technology, Higher Technical Qualifications and others.

Up to and including the 2020/21 financial year, there was a T Level specific marketing campaign with incurred costs of £400,000 in the 2018/19 financial year, £2,667,975 in the 2019/20 financial year and £4,109,207 in the 2020/21 financial year.

The Skills for Life campaign is ongoing. The overall spend for 2023/24 was £12,085,527, as detailed in my response to 7043 on 8 January 2024, which is available at: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-questions/detail/2023-12-14/7043. For the 2021/22 financial year the overall spend was £4,092,000. In the 2022/23 financial year overall spend was £12,400,000.

The department is delivering 21 Institutes of Technology (IoTs), which exceeds the manifesto commitment of 20, of which 19 are already open.

The department is providing up to £300 million of capital funding to the IoT programme to ensure that learners have access to high quality premises and industry standard equipment. The following capital funding has been provided since the programme commenced:

For Wave 1, this funded 47 new facilities, which comprised of 19 new builds and 28 refurbishments. 52 IoT partners received funding for specialist equipment. Wave 2 is comprised of 30 new facility projects, including 7 new builds and 23 refurbishments. 37 partners will receive funding for specialist equipment.

IoTs are funded for participating learners in the same way as further education colleges and higher education institutions.

The number of full-time equivalent staff working at IoTs is a matter for the individual IoTs and their constituent partners. The department does not hold the information requested on how many IoTs have specially built facilities.

The department is delivering 21 Institutes of Technology (IoTs), which exceeds the manifesto commitment of 20, of which 19 are already open.

The department is providing up to £300 million of capital funding to the IoT programme to ensure that learners have access to high quality premises and industry standard equipment. The following capital funding has been provided since the programme commenced:

For Wave 1, this funded 47 new facilities, which comprised of 19 new builds and 28 refurbishments. 52 IoT partners received funding for specialist equipment. Wave 2 is comprised of 30 new facility projects, including 7 new builds and 23 refurbishments. 37 partners will receive funding for specialist equipment.

IoTs are funded for participating learners in the same way as further education colleges and higher education institutions.

The number of full-time equivalent staff working at IoTs is a matter for the individual IoTs and their constituent partners. The department does not hold the information requested on how many IoTs have specially built facilities.

The department is delivering 21 Institutes of Technology (IoTs), which exceeds the manifesto commitment of 20, of which 19 are already open.

The department is providing up to £300 million of capital funding to the IoT programme to ensure that learners have access to high quality premises and industry standard equipment. The following capital funding has been provided since the programme commenced:

For Wave 1, this funded 47 new facilities, which comprised of 19 new builds and 28 refurbishments. 52 IoT partners received funding for specialist equipment. Wave 2 is comprised of 30 new facility projects, including 7 new builds and 23 refurbishments. 37 partners will receive funding for specialist equipment.

IoTs are funded for participating learners in the same way as further education colleges and higher education institutions.

The number of full-time equivalent staff working at IoTs is a matter for the individual IoTs and their constituent partners. The department does not hold the information requested on how many IoTs have specially built facilities.

The government is investing up to £300 million to establish a comprehensive network of 21 Institutes of Technology across England.

They bring together our world class higher and further education sectors, with local businesses – to develop a pipeline of local talent to address local skills needs. Our IoTs work hand in glove with our Local Skills Improvement Plans. They specialise in delivering high-quality training and education in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) based subjects, helping to bridge a vital skills gap in our economy in sectors such as engineering and manufacturing, digital, and construction. Subjects and qualifications offered differ across the network as training is tailored and responsive to the needs of business in the areas they serve. Whilst offering a range of qualifications from Level 3 (T-levels) to Level 7 (master’s degrees), they specialise in higher-level technical skills at Level 4/5, including degree apprenticeships, Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) and professional training.

The latest data the department has on the number of students studying at Institutes of Technology comes from the cohort as of the end of the 2022/23 academic year, which was 14,231. This number of students was across 15 Institutes of Technology that were open to learners at that time.

All Institutes of Technology (IoT) operate under a licence agreement, which includes stretching targets on learner starts, achievements, destinations, satisfaction and on specific learner groups such as level 4 and 5 technical learners, and underrepresented groups.

Performance reviews are carried out quarterly, which are linked directly to the Core Programme Objectives, and aim to:

• Significantly increase the number of learners with higher level technical skills which are crucial to national, regional, and local productivity growth.
• To attract a wide range of learners to maximise the social as well as the economic impact of this new type of institution.
• To improve the occupational competency of learners to meet the needs of employers now and in the future.

Each IoT has a named contact, which is an official from the department, who meets regularly with the IoT to provide support and monitor progress.

Individual partners involved in an IoT, such as York College in the Yorkshire and Humber IoT, do not have any official individual performance objectives set by the department. This is because we consider performance of the IoT as a whole, as part of wider performance monitoring processes.