Institutes of Technology competition: AoC responds

In response to the completion of stage 1 of the IoT competition, David Hughes, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, said: "AoC congratulates the 16 shortlisted Institute of Technology consortia‎ though the fact that only one third of those who expressed an interest last autumn submitted bids is probably evidence of the complexities of establishing the partnership, the restrictive competition criteria and the lack of any development funding support. Capital spending in colleges is at a 20-year low because of reductions in government grants and commercial lending so the promise of £170m for Institutes of Technology‎ is welcome. “We know, though, that for high quality technical education to be successful there will need to be new behaviours and attitudes from employers and across the population, rather than just new buildings. The government's Post-18 review is a chance to work through these issues and to help develop a culture and a better high level technical education system in England."