Yorkshire and Humber IoT to be established in Beverley

4th December 2019 2:43pm - Return to press releases

Yorkshire and Humber IoT to be established in Beverley

East Riding College has confirmed plans are going ahead to expand its Flemingate site in Beverley to accommodate a new Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology (IoT).  It is part of a regional IoT formed by a unique consortium of colleges, itself one of only twelve Institutes of Technology across the country.  The government initiative, first announced in April, is designed to help close technical skills gaps in key STEM areas and provide employers with the skilled workforce they need. 

The IoT in the Yorkshire and Humber brings investment of circa £10million of capital funding into the region, which will be invested in industry standard equipment and facilities to provide higher level technical training.  Part of the £1.1m investment at East Riding College will fund an extension to its Flemingate campus, housing specialist high-level training facilities for engineering.

The massive training boost will enhance students’ employment opportunities and improve the number of suitably qualified candidates in the technical and professional jobs market.

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 will also accommodate specialist stress testing equipment to teach engineering science, such as the science of materials and structures.

East Riding College is working alongside eight other education partners:  Askham Bryan College, Bishop Burton College, Craven College, Scarborough TEC, Selby College and York College – who are leading the consortium - as well as the University of Hull and University of York St John.

The Yorkshire and Humber IoT has received significant levels of employer support. Digital and Engineering businesses ViSR, CATCH, Skipton Building Society, GB Recruitment and ENGIE Fabricom have each recognised the need for investment in education to address their wider skills shortages and have signed up as employer partners involved in designing the appropriate curriculum, supported by research from the universities. These employers are part of the governance of the Yorkshire & Humber Institute of Technology to ensure continued collaboration and long term benefits for the region.

Neil Waterhouse, Executive Director: Commercial and Finance at East Riding College said: “We’re proud to be part of one of only 12 prestigious Institutes of Technology in the whole country.  I believe our IoT is pretty unique in that it is a consortium of multiple colleges working together to deliver the best high level technical skills for employers in our region.   The work we are doing is supported by significant capital investment to improve the level of skills, increase productivity, and make a real difference to the success of the region.”