Funding of £8.6m has now been approved for the new West London Institute of Technology – one of just 12 to be licenced nationally to create a better qualified workforce in industries built on higher technical skills. West London IoT will boost opportunities for students, trainees and Apprentices to achieve the higher technical qualifications in demand by employers – equivalent to undergraduate study, up to degree level, in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) subjects.
Education Secretary Gavin Williamson, said: “It’s fantastic news that West London Institute of Technology has been awarded its licence to become one of the country’s very first Institutes of Technology.
Institutes of Technology will play a vital role in this government’s commitment to establishing our technical education system as one of the best in the world, and I look forward to seeing learners in the area make the most of all it has to offer them and gain the higher technical skills they need to succeed. Congratulations to all those involved.”
Brunel University London, Fujitsu, Heathrow and West London Business and hundreds of other employers are working with HCUC, the merged college group for Harrow College and Uxbridge College, to develop a wide range of qualifications designed to meet the needs of local employers at Levels 4, 5 and 6. Employers will offer input into the content of the qualifications, provide placements and masterclasses, and give students the chance to work on real projects in their workplaces.
West London Institute of Technology is now accepting students on to courses in Digital Technology, Engineering and Building Services courses across Harrow College and Uxbridge College. These currently include HNCs (Higher National Certificates) and HNDs (Higher National Diplomas) and Higher Apprenticeships – equivalent to one or two years at university. The IoT is also working towards an expansion and upgrade of current specialist learning facilities to underpin its developing provision.
Dr Darrell DeSouza, Principal and CEO of HCUC, said: “This is a unique opportunity for students across West London and beyond to benefit from this prestigious new Institute which HCUC is delighted to have been chosen for. Government and industry have identified the need for higher technical skills as a national priority and are supporting this with funding to enable us to continue to develop and expand our STEM offer with our expert academic and industry partners. Qualifications offered by West London Institute of Technology offer excellent career advancement prospects or a pathway to university as well as great industry links.”
Professor Rebecca Lingwood, Provost at Brunel University London, said: “We’re absolutely delighted to be part of west London’s new Institute of Technology and I am very much looking forward to seeing the next generation of scientists and engineers start to come through the IoT at HCUC, and for some to join us at Brunel.
Working together to offer such a broad range of vocational and academic subjects really enriches our local area and helps us stand out as a hub of true educational excellence.”
For more details, visit the page on the Uxbridge College website by clicking here.
