Prestigious new East London Institute of Technology (IoT) that will upskill local people for high-level jobs is a step closer to opening in Dagenham

IoTs are the government’s flagship programme designed to spearhead the delivery of higher technical education in STEM subjects. They are innovative collaborations between employers, further education colleges and universities, forming a new type of prestigious institution. They form a key part of the government’s wider reforms to the country’s technical education system. A key role of IoTs will be to encourage more individuals to continue to study after completing T Levels or A Levels and attract workers of all ages looking to upskill and retrain.

Barking & Dagenham College was selected through a rigorous bidding process to be just one of 12 nationally to be opening one of the first wave of IoTs, having been identified as a strong partner to deliver the government’s ambitious agenda on higher level skills.

It has now been made official with the Department for Education signing a contract with College and its four anchor partners Coventry University (CU), Huawei, Saint Gobain and TfL. It will open its doors to new students this September.

Sector specialisms at the IoT will be: Construction and Infrastructure, Advanced Engineering and Robotics, Advanced Manufacturing, Creative Digital and IT sectors, all of which are critical to the London and UK economy.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson commented:

“It’s brilliant news that the East London Institute of Technology has been awarded its licence. We are levelling up opportunities across the country and Institutes of Technology will play a vital role in ensuring businesses and communities can access the higher technical skills they need to thrive.

“I look forward to hearing more about the East London Institute of Technology’s progress and hope students make the most of all it has to offer them. Congratulations to all those involved.”

Now that the contracts are signed, the College has begun ordering £4.3m of state-of-the-art equipment.

Jason Turton Director of Advanced Technologies at the IoT said:

“The IoT will align employers with educational projects using professional resources from the digital and advanced manufacturing sectors. It will foster a responsive curriculum, delivery methods and teaching practices that addresses changing labour markets, new/emerging occupations and skills needs.

“The IoT is a technology hub that drives innovation in future industries including cyber security, artificial intelligence, electric vehicle testing, multimedia production, game design, big data, 5G and precision engineering.

“The students will have the opportunity to work in a real-life industry-standard environment to equip them with the high-level skills required by modern businesses.”

Yvonne Kelly, CEO and Principal of Barking & Dagenham College said:

“It is fantastic news that the East London Institute of Technology will be opening its doors to students with the highest quality facilities and equipment. It will play a significant role in providing the highly skilled workforce that businesses in the region need.”