A new report from Policy Exchange, titled 'Engineered for Success', suggests that establishing more technical universities could help address the UK's significant skill shortages. The report, endorsed by Sir James Dyson and Lord Blunkett, highlights that over 250,000 vacancies remain unfilled because the necessary skilled workers are unavailable.
The UK currently has one million young people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET). Skill-shortage vacancies now make up 27% of all job openings, with acute concentrations in technical sectors such as construction (45%) and manufacturing (34%).
The report points to the New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE) in Hereford as an example of an alternative model. NMITE offers expedited degrees and works with over 80 employers, with many of its first graduates securing competitive engineering roles.
Policy Exchange has identified 57 English towns with populations of 60,000 or more that lack their own university, suggesting these could be prime locations for new NMITE-type institutions. The report also advocates for easier regulatory processes and a £50m Seed Development Fund to support the establishment of such institutions.