Keele’s Vice-Chancellor has welcomed the approval of a new £13 million Institute of Technology (IoT) for Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.

Keele is the university partner in a consortium - led by Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group (NSCG), which submitted the bid to establish the new Institute - and which has now received approval from the Department for Education.

The £13m development will bring together industry, education and research to jointly design and develop education and training opportunities aligned to the skills needed by employers, the local, regional and national economy, and Government priorities for technical education.

Utilising a hub and spoke approach, the IoT will serve the communities of Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent from a number of key locations and will see employers and academia working collaboratively to widen participation in targeted STEM areas, with a focus on manufacturing and engineering across a wide range of specialisms, including the built environment, health sciences, sustainability and digital technology/innovation.

Other partners in the consortium include Burton and South Derbyshire College, Axia Solutions, Siemens, Moog Aircraft Group, Hitachi Energy and Dell.

Professor Trevor McMillan, Vice-Chancellor of Keele University said: “We’re delighted to be part of this successful bid for the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Institute of Technology. This will put Staffordshire firmly on the map as a leader in digital innovation, sustainability and technology, for the benefit of both students and businesses across the region.”

Karen Dobson OBE, Principal and Chief Executive of Newcastle and Stafford Colleges Group, added: "The prestigious new institution will help raise aspirations, support both individuals and businesses to thrive, and provide a boost to our regional economy.

“I would like to extend my thanks to our employer partners, Keele University and our Further Education peers for their support through the application stage, we are really looking forward to working collaboratively with them in the coming months, as we turn our shared vision into reality. Together, we are committed to delivering innovative, high quality technical and professional education that meets the needs of industry in our region, both now and in the future.”

IoT’s form a key part of the Government’s wider reform of technical education, and are the flagship programme designed to spearhead the delivery of higher technical education in STEM subjects. They are intended to bring together employers with Further Education Colleges and Universities to create a new type of institution with a prestigious and distinct identity, offering high quality technical education with clear routes to highly skilled employment.

The Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent IoT is one of nine new IoT’s announced by the Department for Education, bringing the total to 21 across the country.