17 February 2023
West of England Institute of Technology (WEIoT) celebrates as it has made significant progress in advancing technical education across the West of England region since its virtual opening in the midst of Covid-19 restrictions. The partnership between educational institutions and employers has been instrumental in driving innovation and growth, as well as creating opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds.
The WEIoT is committed to delivering technical education that aligns with the Government’s Levelling Up agenda, ensuring that individuals from all backgrounds can play a critical role in driving innovation and growth across the country.
To capture the successes to date the Institute has created The Impact Brochure which highlights some of the triumphs achieved by WEIoT, including the delivery of over 1,300 higher technical learners across priority growth sectors, such as Health & Life Sciences, Advanced Engineering & High Value Manufacturing, and Digital & High Tech. Plus the certificate of Future Technologies, a modular-based learning program, has also been successfully completed by over 200 individuals.
To add to this the WEIoT has won two contracts from the Department for Education (DfE) to deliver Skills Bootcamps, expanding the IoT’s offer to include Bootcamps in Green Skills and Construction, meeting local employer needs. Plus capital developments have also taken place in Bath, Bristol, Cheltenham, Weston-super-Mare, Bristol, and Yeovil, to provide training spaces that meet the current and future skills needs of key sectors in the region.
Sameer Savani, Vice President GTC-UK at GKN Aerospace and employer partner of the WEIoT commented:
“GKN Aerospace is proud to be partnering with West of England Institute of Technology by having them within our Global Technology Centre. With the whole Aerospace sector committed to Net Zero 2050, this is a hugely exciting time for our industry, full of opportunities for future talent in developing the next generation of advanced technologies such as composite materials, automated manufacturing, hydrogen propulsion and additive manufacturing.
“Having a learning space in our world-class centre, enabling Apprentices to see first-hand the exciting developments taking place in Aerospace, is a great demonstration of our two organisations’ shared ambitions and commitment to support the sector with its future skills needs. This partnership between the Institute of Technology, Weston College and GKN Aerospace, is exactly the kind of collaboration needed to attract, train and inspire the Aerospace engineering workforce of the future. We look forward to continued success together.”
A WEIoT Apprentice Benjamin with employer partner Bamboo, said:
“I started with Bamboo seven years ago as a Customer Experience Executive/Partner Service. When an apprenticeship opportunity came along at Bamboo through WEIoT, it was an excellent way for me to upskill at a higher level, achieve a degree qualification and boost my career potential. My cyber security Level 6 programme is delivered jointly by Gloucestershire College and the University of the West of England under the WEIoT umbrella. I have been enjoying the flexible nature of my apprenticeship, and a friendly, supportive, and collaborative learning atmosphere at both education providers.”
Claire Arbery, Director for the WEIoT said:
“The successes achieved by WEIoT so far demonstrate the commitment of the partners to delivering technical education that benefits the region and the country as a whole. As the first phase of the IoT nears completion, the partners look forward to taking it forward into relicensing and continuing to shape the future of technical education.
“Take a look at The Impact Brochure on this page to discover more, meet some of our learners and employers who are inspiring future generations to consider technical sectors, plus see how you can join us on this journey to shape the future.”
