Contract signed for pioneering East London Institute of Technology set to open in Rush Green
The East London Institute of Technology. Picture: Barking and Dagenham College - Credit: Barking and Dagenham College
A pioneering higher education institution is set to open in Rush Green later this year.
The deal to launch the East London Institute of Technology (IoT) has been signed by the Department for Education and Barking and Dagenham College, which will be hosting the new institution on its campus.
And now that the contract has been signed, the college has started ordering £4.3 million worth of state-of-the-art equipment ahead of the arrival of its first cohort.
Jason Turton, director of advanced technologies at the IoT, explained: "The IoT will align employers with educational projects using professional resources from the digital and advanced manufacturing sectors.
"The IoT is a technology hub that drives innovation in future industries including cyber security, artificial intelligence, electric vehicle testing, multimedia production, game design, big data, 5G and precision engineering.
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"The students will have the opportunity to work in a real-life industry-standard environment to equip them with the high-level skills required by modern businesses."
Barking and Dagenham College was selected as one of just 12 across the country to open one of the first wave of IoTs.
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The new higher education institutions form part of a government scheme to reform technical education, and will provide opportunities for pupils who have completed their A-levels as well as those who are looking to retrain later in life.
The East London IoT has four anchor partners - Coventry University, which has a campus in Dagenham, electronics company Huawei, construction firm Saint Gobain and Transport for London.
Set to welcome its first students in September, it will specialise in areas including construction, robotics and advanced manufacturing.
Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: "It's brilliant news that the East London Institute of Technology has been awarded its licence.
"We are levelling up opportunities across the country and Institutes of Technology will play a vital role in ensuring businesses and communities can access the higher technical skills they need to thrive.
"I look forward to hearing more about the East London Institute of Technology's progress and hope students make the most of all it has to offer them. Congratulations to all those involved."
