Government pledges £15m funding for new engineering institution

The New Model in Technology & Engineering (NMiTE) aims to become the first new ‘greenfield’ university in the UK for 30 years, addressing the growing need for engineering talent in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, artificial intelligence and cyber-security.

NMiTE is taking a radical approach to training the next generation of engineers, including having a 50:50 gender balance target, 6-12 month integrated work placements, and recruiting graduates from non-traditional backgrounds. It will also offer accelerated degrees, meaning students can complete their degrees in two years.

The funding, which relies on the project meeting a set of milestones and criteria, will be used to develop the faculty, campus and curriculum, creating a new institution to draw talent to Hereford from the UK and beyond. NMiTE will increase the number of engineering graduates and professionals, addressing a vital skills gap in the economy.

It will work closely with University of Warwick and employers including QinetiQ and Heineken on the design of the curriculum, producing graduates who are ready for the demands of the job market.

Universities Minister Jo Johnson said: “New innovative higher education providers such as NMiTE will play an important part in educating the next generation of much-needed engineers, providing the skills and talent that employers need.

“Our reforms are about giving all young people access to university and an increasingly diverse market to choose from. This will ensure a steady stream of highly-skilled graduates into the workplace, meeting the needs of business and boosting the British economy.”

The announcement builds on plans set out in the government’s modern industrial strategy which aims to improve living standards and economic growth by increasing productivity and driving growth across the whole country.

Engineering graduate supply currently falls significantly short of demand. Engineering UK estimates a shortfall of at least 20,000 annually.

NMiTE will take its first cohort of students in September 2020, with development cohorts in 2018 and 2019. Some features include:

• Hands-on project based learning with no lectures - classes will be delivered by teaching professors and practitioners;


• Courses co-created with employers, with mandatory work placements of 6-12 months before graduation;


• Emphasis on enhancing pathways for women with a 50:50 gender balance target, boosting the number of female engineering graduates;


• An aim to support 25% of its student intake with bursaries and scholarships to support diversity and social mobility; and


• A commitment to recruiting from non-traditional backgrounds – e.g. higher level apprentices, armed service leavers.