Solent University to get share of £120m for Institute of Technology

The Southampton based university will receive a share of £120m of government funding for the new institute which aims to meet the Solent region’s future workforce needs across maritime, engineering and digital technologies.

The planned £13m Maritime Engineering and Digital Institute of Technology is expected to 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 ABP Port, Teemil and The Royal Navy.

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Professor Karen Stanton, Solent University Vice-Chancellor, says: "This is great news for the region. Institutes of Technology aim to deliver technical knowledge, combined with the practical skills demanded by employers – values already embedded in Solent’s curriculum, as we ensure all our students are ready for a successful future.

"To be able to deliver these benefits to many more learners and offer further opportunities for education and growth across our community will be of huge benefit to the area, both educationally and economically.”

Other partners are Brockenhurst College, Eastleigh College, Havant and South Downs College and Isle of White College and the University of Portsmouth.

The Funds will be used to enhance the best learning facilities across the region, with Institute of Technology centres at each site by 2023.

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."