The government has confirmed plans to create five “defence-focused” technical excellence colleges to “make the country safer and boost jobs”.
Applications for existing colleges to win funding to be a technical excellence college (TEC) will go live by the end of this calendar year, with successful centres to be launched in 2026.
The announcement was made in the government’s new defence industrial strategy published this week.
Other strategy elements include increased nuclear-related apprenticeships, a clearing style system for apprenticeships and a defence skills passport.
Defence secretary John Healey said: “It’s British workers who gave UK companies the leading edge in defence innovation and industry.
“Our defence industrial strategy puts skills at the heart of the Government’s plans to make the country safer and boost jobs across the UK.
“This is the biggest defence skills plan in decades, a plan to boost Britain’s security and create well paid, high-skilled jobs for young people for generations to come.”
The government hopes the defence sector plan will help make the UK a “defence industrial superpower” by 2035.
It has also earmarked £250 million in investment for “defence growth deals” for five locations: Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow, Sheffield and Plymouth.
The five colleges
The five defence TECs will follow ten construction TECs confirmed in August, which will each receive a share of £80 million in capital and £20 million in revenue over the next four years.
Officials will work with the defence industry to identify where the TECs would be “best placed” to address “large demand for skilled workers” from specialist industries.
As with the construction TECs, the funding will be both revenue and capital and will be aimed at building “capacity and capability” for teaching, curriculum development, specialist equipment and facilities for “cutting-edge defence skills provision”.
It is not yet clear whether the defence TEC’s will be UK-wide or just available in England like their construction counterparts.
Careers and upskilling
The college funding is part of a “comprehensive” £182 million package aimed at skills for the defence industry that the Ministry of Defence (MOD) says will help train people for roles such as submarine engineers, specialist welders, and cyber warfare specialists.
Through the National Nuclear Strategic Plan for Skills (NNSPS), launched last year, the sector aims to “double” defence nuclear apprentice and graduate intakes, creating 22,000 apprenticeships and 9,000 graduate roles over the ten years.
There are currently about 24,000 apprentices supported by the MOD each year.
To help plug workforce gaps, the ministry also plans to launch an ‘apprenticeship and graduate clearing system’ that will offer opportunities in the defence sector to those who narrowly miss out on defence graduate and apprenticeship schemes, which are “typically oversubscribed”.
Officials also plan to establish a ‘defence universities alliance’ for a “more strategic relationship” with the higher education sector, and will “explore” a partnership with the University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) to promote defence careers.
To encourage mid-career transitions into the defence industry, the MOD will “scope the development” of a ‘defence skills framework’ that will include a defence skills passport to enable a “smoother identification and transfer” between armed forces, defence industry and neighbouring industries.
The government says funding will also pay for “thousands” of short courses so that defence employers can train new and current staff “more quickly”, although details of this remain limited.
Skills England will play a “crucial role” in the MOD’s strategy to support the defence industry, by “providing the authoritative voice” on skills needs, analysing local and regional needs, and mobilising employers.
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson said: “The defence sector doesn’t just keep the British people safe; it drives growth and unlocks opportunities for young people to learn pioneering skills and pursue a great career.
“This investment and our new defence technical excellence colleges will break down barriers to opportunity for people in every corner of our country, drive economic growth as part of our Plan for Change and secure the UK’s place in the world, putting us at the cutting edge of innovation and new technology.”
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