St Austell and Newquay’s Member of Parliament Steve Double has welcomed the Government’s £48 million investment through the Skills Investment Fund, boosting the rollout of Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs) and equipping students from all backgrounds with the high-quality, higher-level skills needed to secure well-paying jobs.
HTQs are technical courses at levels 4 and 5 which equip students from all backgrounds with the high-quality, higher-level skills needed to secure well-paying jobs, like software developer or construction site supervisor. They also help to meet local labour market needs and boost local economies. The new investment will allow colleges and other providers to deliver more HTQs by funding specialist equipment, facilities, and upskilling staff.
Commenting, Steve said:
“During my time as Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay I have worked hard with employers and the Government to encourage the creation of higher skilled, better paid jobs in Cornwall, to allow our young people the chance to have their careers in our Duchy, rather than move away due to the lack of opportunity.”
“Investment such as what we are seeing with the rollout of the Higher Technical Qualifications to our local colleges will allow our young people to be job ready to take advantage of some of the fantastic new job opportunities such as those we are seeing at Newquay Aerohub with the growing space sector.”
Commenting, Minister for Skills, Apprenticeships and Higher Education Robert Halfon said:
“Supporting people from all backgrounds to embark on high-quality technical courses, armed with the skills they need to climb the ladder of opportunity, is crucial to building a world-class skills nation.
“Boosting funding to support the delivery of Higher Technical Qualifications and ensuring that schools and colleges have the space they need to provide all students with top notch training is an essential to achieving parity of esteem with traditional degrees and plugging skills gaps in key sectors.”
Further Education colleges and other providers have been invited to apply for a share of the Skills Injection Fund, with new courses starting September 2024. This includes courses in Education & Childcare and Engineering & Manufacturing which will help to produce a pipeline of talent that will plug skills gaps in these key sectors.
Both rounds of funding are part of the Government’s plans to transform technical education and training to ensure that young people from all backgrounds have the opportunity to gain the skills they need to succeed and provide local employers with access to the skilled workforce they need to grow. This builds on the £165 million Local Skills Improvement Fund announced earlier this month, which will provide tailored funding to plug local skills gaps across the country. These transformative measures will revolutionise skills training to meet local needs and help fulfil the Prime Minister’s priority of boosting the economy.