Today I am announcing a national programme which will be delivered by The Open University. The Open University will partner with 10 to 12 further education (FE) providers in England to support the delivery of high quality level four and five courses in areas where there is currently limited provision.
As a Government we are working to level up the country, and access to high quality education at level four and above is a vital part of this. There are too many communities who do not currently have access to local, convenient, high quality higher education (HE) and I am determined to address this.
We want people wishing to train and upskill throughout their life to have local access to a new type of HE, focused on providing the higher level skills to meet local employer needs, with shorter courses that deliver the skills they require rather than only three year degrees.
The Open University will be working in partnership with a selection of FE providers and employers at a local level to understand the skills the economy needs and ensure the education system give people those skills.
We know FE providers are at different stages and require different levels of support to take the important step into delivering good quality level four and five courses that employers want. So I have asked the Office for Students to commission an HE sector leader to provide validation and course support to help FE providers develop and deliver high quality higher technical courses that meet local skills needs.
We are delighted that the Office for Students has appointed The Open University to deliver this vital programme. The Open University will work with FE providers who need support developing and delivering courses and having them validated. They will help people in areas currently underserved by HE courses to access a high quality course accredited by a known and recognised institution. The Government are providing up to £10 million to support The Open University with the costs of setting up and running the programme over the next three years.
The Open University is inviting bids now from local FE providers who are ambitious about delivering high quality level four and five courses. They will be announcing which organisations they will be supporting in the autumn, and we look forward to working with them and the Office for Students to level up opportunity.
This new programme comes alongside a £32 million Higher Technical Education Skills Injection Fund for colleges and universities, which will be invested in equipment and facilities to support technical studies, and boost training opportunities with businesses in key areas such as digital, construction and healthcare.
I would like to use this statement to encourage education sector leaders to engage with these programmes of support. Together we can build an even better HE offer that is fit for the 21st century and delivering on the priorities of local employers and learners in every part of the country.
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