The Royal Navy is at the heart of a new £13 million tech education project which opens its doors for the first time in September.
The South Coast Institute of Technology draws on the expertise and knowledge base of five Hampshire further education colleges and two universities, plus leading employers in the region – IBM, QinetiQ, Portsmouth International Port and the Royal Navy – with the goal of improving and increasing education and employment opportunities across the maritime, engineering, and digital industries.
Backed by over £13 million in funding from the Department for Education, the institute expects to welcome more than 1,000 students in its first academic year.
Cooperation between employers and industries have shaped the high-level skills courses being offered from apprenticeships to degree level, and the institute will not just welcome students looking to begin their working lives but also older men and women looking to re-train and embark on a fresh challenge.
The institute is a collaboration of five further education colleges (Fareham, Eastleigh, Brockenhurst, Isle of Wight and Havant and South Downs) and two universities (Southampton Solent and Portsmouth), with building work now under way on the respective campuses to create the facilities needed to support and host the new seat of learning/training.
Rear Admiral Jude Terry, Director of People and Training, believes the new institute will have a significant impact.
She continued: “We see this as a once-in-a-generation opportunity to tackle the higher technical skills shortage – not only in the region but nationally – and it is essential in supporting a much-needed growth in productivity, particularly in the maritime, engineering, and digital industries.
“The Royal Navy’s strong support underlines the importance that we place on skills initiatives, and we look forward to collaborating with the IoT.”
If you’re interested in hearing more about the courses on offer, visit www.southcoastiot.ac.uk or email [email protected].
