Institute of Technology receives £2m investment boost

The East Midlands Institute of Technology (IoT), which is backed by Derby College Group and the University of Derby, has received a £2 million boost from East Midlands Freeport.

The Freeport is investing the cash from its Seed Capital investment fund into the Future Energy Skills Hub (FESH), a project led by the East Midlands IoT.

The Freeport is set to deliver tens of thousands of jobs and add billions to the regional economy by attracting inward investment at its three tax sites – the East Midlands Intermodal Park near Derby, the Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station site in south Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands Airport Gateway Industrial Cluster.

Its latest investment will fund a major training programme aimed at developing future talent firms will need to grasp opportunities opened up by clean energy and the decarbonisation of industry.

From September 2025, East Midlands IoT will run FESH courses, which provide higher technical skills tailored to the needs of businesses operating directly in advanced manufacturing and clean energy, but also for the increasing numbers of firms seeking to make a clean energy transition in their day-to-day work.

Technical courses currently offered by East Midlands IoT, which will help FESH achieve its aims of developing a pipeline of future talent, include a degree in manufacturing engineering at Derby College Group, and a degree in artificial intelligence and data science at the University of Derby.

Rachel Quinn, executive director of the East Midlands IoT, said: “East Midlands Freeport has made a significant and welcome investment to develop the technical skills needed by the region’s clean energy businesses.

“With the expertise of the East Midlands IoT’s academic partners and the business know-how of its corporate partners, we will help a new generation of highly skilled students into rewarding careers, which will boost the local economy and drive decarbonisation in our region.”

Tom Newman-Taylor, chief executive of East Midlands Freeport, said: “We’re fully committed to delivering on the Government’s mission of increasing growth and creating new opportunities for people, communities and businesses in the process.

“So, alongside our three sites, we are investing directly in technology projects which will help industry decarbonise and skills programmes which will ensure local people can access these new opportunities.”

As the FESH project evolves, East Midlands Freeport’s partners and East Midlands IoT will work to develop additional short courses for rapid upskilling and embed sustainable and green energy skills in all existing technical qualifications to provide the skills needed by businesses.