The second round of the government’s “skills injection fund” that aims to boost delivery of level 4 and 5 higher technical qualifications (HTQs) will involve higher per student funding rates.
Up to £48.8 million is being made available to colleges, universities and private providers to spend on specialist equipment, facilities, and upskilling staff to deliver HTQs across the next two financial years.
The funding is expected to ensure there are “widespread credible alternatives” to a three-year degree ahead of the introduction of the lifelong loan entitlement in 2025.
Skills, apprenticeships and higher education minister Robert Halfon opened the fund for bids today. He said: “Boosting funding to support the delivery of HTQs and ensuring that schools and colleges have the space they need to provide all students with top notch training is essential to achieving parity of esteem with traditional degrees and plugging skills gaps in key sectors.”
