South East successful in Institute of Technology bid

A collaborative bid to create an Institute of Technology (IoT) in the South East of the country has been successful.

IoTs are designed to bring education providers and employers together to deliver higher technical education across their existing sites.

The South East Institute of Technology (SEIoT) project is led by South Essex College with core partners University of East Anglia, Anglia Ruskin University, Canterbury Christchurch University, Harlow College, MidKent College, East Sussex College Group, Chelmsford College and Plumpton College.  

Employer partners include DP World (London Gateway), Port of Tilbury, Stansted Airport, Morgan Sindall Construction, Princess Alexandra Hospital Group, Leonardo, Megger Instruments, Chartway Group and Wine GB.

The SEIoT will provide training particularly in higher technical skills and research support for industry, across the South East Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) area.

The key industry sectors that will be supported through applied research and skills development include Engineering and Manufacturing, Transport and Logistics, Health Science, Construction and the Built Environment, Horticulture (including viticulture) and Animal Science, and Information and Communication Technology.

As part of the bid, £12.5million of funding is being made available to the SEIoT by the government to fund new cutting-edge facilities and equipment, including fully digitised ‘mini’ factory and working environments, replicating (for example) automated warehousing, building management systems, automated manufacturing such as PLC and robotics, as well as technologically advanced environments for health & care, construction technical environments, and advanced veterinary labs.

As local employers are an integral part of this programme, the IoT will be equipped to focus on giving people the technical skills that businesses need, which helps them to prosper and leads to more and better local jobs.

Angela O’Donoghue, Principal and Chief Executive of South Essex College said the announcement was ‘fantastic’ for the South East.
She said: “Utilising our collaborative strengths, SEIoT will enable a significant step-change in the region’s higher technical skills capabilities, providing the learning, support, facilities, expertise and infrastructure to help prepare industry and workers for the further increase in automation and green technologies.

“The bid has been supported by the South East Local Enterprise Partnership and a wide range of employers across the South East. We look forward to working together and using the funding to invest in new equipment and facilities across the partner colleges to deliver this new collaborative approach to training.”