Graham Stuart MP visits new Institute of Technology

East Riding College welcomed local MP Graham Stuart to its Flemingate campus in Beverley this week for a ‘hard-hat tour’ of its new Institute of Technology (IoT).

The tour allowed Mr Stuart to view the progress of the construction of a brand new Institute of Technology - part of the Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology and one of only 12 such institutes across the country. The new facility at East Riding College is an extension of the College’s Beverley campus, situated in the busy Flemingate shopping and leisure complex. It will provide specialist accommodation for higher level engineering, construction and computing courses.

The project has been supported by the Department for Education and Government Local Growth Fund, secured through the former Humber LEP and part of the Government’s commitment to the Northern Powerhouse. The fund is now being managed by the Hull and East Yorkshire LEP (HEY LEP).

Mike Welsh, Principal at East Riding College, said:

“I am delighted Mr Stuart is supportive of the development and I was pleased to be able to share our progress so far. We have worked with the LEP and our IoT partners from across the North to secure the funding to be able to establish the Yorkshire and Humber Institute of Technology, to benefit our students and the regional economy. The Institute at East Riding College represents an investment in higher-level technical engineering, construction and computing skills in the heart of East Yorkshire, providing our students with the opportunity to enter the jobs market with the higher-level skills employers need.”

The IoT is a beneficiary of high-profile Government investment in skills – even more pertinent now that skills and jobs are expected to play a significant part in the economic recovery after the pandemic. 

Graham Stuart, MP for Beverley and Holderness, added:

“It was very encouraging to see the new development on Flemingate in Beverley in the initial stages of construction. It’s great to see the Government’s investment into my constituency made real, in the form of bricks and mortar, showing how we’re working to boost economic growth through investment into skills and infrastructure. Mike and his team at the college have worked incredibly hard to give their students a world-class education even in the midst of a pandemic and I look forward to East Riding College continuing their sterling work at their new facilities.”

The Yorkshire and Humber IoT brings investment of circa £12million of capital funding into the region overall, which will be invested in industry standard equipment and facilities to provide higher level technical training. The massive training boost will enhance students’ employment opportunities and improve the number of suitably qualified candidates in the technical and professional jobs market.

The Yorkshire and Humber IoT has already received significant levels of employer support. Digital and Engineering businesses ViSR, CATCH, Skipton Building Society, GB Recruitment and ENGIE Fabricom each recognised the need for investment in education to address their wider skills shortages and signed up as employer partners. They have been involved in designing the appropriate curriculum, supported by research from the IoT’s university partners, the University of Hull and the University of York St John. The curriculum will be delivered by college partners: Askham Bryan College, Bishop Burton College, Craven College, East Riding College, Scarborough TEC, Selby College and York College.