Government backs 19 technical colleges to tackle skills gap

New College Durham has been selected as one of the Advanced Manufacturing TECs

The Government has unveiled the next phase of its skills agenda with the designation of 19 new Technical Excellence Colleges (TECs), a £175 million investment designed to strengthen the UK’s pipeline of high‑level technical talent for manufacturing, clean energy, defence and digital industries.

The initiative, announced on 14 April, is expected to give around 65,000 learners access to specialist training aligned directly with employer demand, as ministers seek to address an estimated 600,000‑worker shortfall by 2030 across the UK’s fastest‑growing sectors. Backed by funding from the Department for Education (£97 million), the Ministry of Defence (£50 million) and the Department for Business and Trade (£28 million), the TECs will form a core pillar of the government’s industrial strategy, positioning colleges as engines of regional growth and productivity.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the programme would place technical skills on an equal footing with academic routes: “I want every young person to know there is a clear route into well‑paid work, whatever their background. These colleges put technical skills front and centre, opening up high‑quality jobs in the industries driving Britain’s future.”

Colleges awarded TEC status will benefit from investment in advanced equipment, improved curricula and enhanced employer partnerships, while also acting as hubs of excellence, sharing best practice with other providers nationwide.

Pipeline of highly skilled workers
Skills Minister Jacqui Smith added: “The industries that will define Britain’s future – clean energy, advanced manufacturing, defence, digital – need a pipeline of highly skilled workers, and we’re building it. Because the best colleges will share their expertise with others, the whole country benefits.”

Milton Keynes College, already a hub for innovation in AI and robotics, has been selected as a digital Technical Excellence College, reflecting its existing work position within the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor and strong demand for tech skills in the region.

David Hughes, Association of Colleges’ CEO, said: “This investment will help colleges support even more people into good jobs and encourage employers to take on more apprentices and skilled workers. In turn, colleges will be able to do even more to enhance economic growth and improve productivity.

“I am pleased to see investment coming from across government, in recognition that delivering on a wide range of government priorities requires better skills investment. We have seen already with the 10 construction technical excellence colleges that investing in our sector delivers effectively and efficiently and I hope over time to see even more TECs established in other sectors."

The announcement builds on the first wave of TECs launched in 2025, including Bedford Technical Excellence College, which is already supporting staff development across the FE sector.

Colleges selected as hubs of excellence for Advanced Manufacturing include: the City of Wolverhampton College; New College Durham; Newcastle and Stafford College Group and Weston College of Further and Higher Education.