East Riding College has expanded its Flemingate site in Beverley to include a new Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology (IoT).
The IoT in Yorkshire and Humber has brought investment of over £10million of capital funding into the region. The £2.1m Institute at East Riding College houses specialist high-level training facilities for engineering and technical disciplines.
The College aims to boost employment opportunities and improve the number of suitably qualified candidates in the technical and professional jobs market.
In his speech at the opening of the new Institute Mike Welsh, Principal at East Riding College said:
“We now have a specialist, state-of-the-art facility that enhances technical delivery at our Beverley campus and sets our IoT students up for the real-life work environment.
“The curriculum is designed to meet the specific needs of local employers with exciting developments on the horizon, such as the Humber Freeport, Yorkshire Energy Park and the Energy Estuary. The curriculum is delivered by a specialist team of engineers and computer scientists, all of whom are current or recent practitioners in their field.
“Our learners will be ready for the future, whatever awaits them. Five years after completion the average higher-level apprentice earns more than the average graduate. Practical hands-on higher education is not about lowering aspirations or academic standards. On the contrary, achieving employability through a focus on higher-level technical skills and close links with employers is the future, and what IoTs are all about.”
Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness opened the new Institute, linking the opportunities it presents for young people to the climate change challenge and the UN Climate Change Conference, COP 26 taking place in Glasgow the same week. He said;
“This area and this country is at the heart of meeting the [climate] challenge, but what we absolutely have to do is have the institutions, the vision and the drive to make that happen, and share it with our young people and inspire them…This IoT is going to play a really important part in building the skill sets, I couldn’t be more excited about it.
“The Team involved in this College has done tremendous things even when the sector generally is struggling. This College has been a centre of excellence.”
East Riding College’s IoT will develop the highly specialised skills required by employers in the engineering and construction industries, such as higher-level Computer Aided Design (CAD) and higher technical Computer Numerical Controlled (CNC) skills.
The new Institute includes a CAD suite, science lab and specialist industry-standard workshop so higher-level engineers can learn advanced skills.
The IoT at East Riding College is part of a regional IoT formed by a unique consortium of colleges, itself one of only twelve Institutes of Technology across the country.
IoTs are a government initiative designed to help close technical skills gaps in key STEM areas and provide employers with the skilled workforce they need.
