24 universities and colleges awarded investment to boost student places and strengthen UK defence industry

• £80 million of grants for institutions to offer 2,500 new student places so more young people can land key jobs in defence.
• Funding will also help build brand new teaching facilities to support the capacity growth over the next decade.
• Boost to defence-related and technical skills will meet industry needs, bolster national security, and deliver on the Strategic Defence Review and Industrial Strategy.

Thousands more young people will be equipped with the skills needed for a career in the defence sector as the Government awards £80 million to 24 universities and colleges across England.

Institutions from Newcastle to Exeter will use the funding to expand the number of places and improve facilities for courses which are vital to national security including defence-focused engineering and computing.

The grants will help provide the defence industry with the future workforce it needs and give more young people the chance to secure well-paid careers. For instance, workers in the defence nuclear sector earn a wage premium of on average approximately 20% above the national average wage, based on a MOD survey of the main industry organisations.

The 24 winners - selected from 112 applicants - will receive a share of £50 million to create almost 2,500 new student places over five years starting from this autumn. Funding is focused on engineering and computer science, including cyber security, robotics, autonomous technology, aerospace engineering and advanced manufacturing, where defence has some of its greatest skills needs.

A further £30 million will be invested in projects including building brand new teaching facilities to support the capacity growth over the next decade.

The announcement delivers on the Strategic Defence Review's recommendation to boost the pipeline of skilled workers who can contribute to the UK's national security.

Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, Luke Pollard MP said:

We are creating more opportunities for young people across the UK to learn new skills and secure good, well-paid jobs in defence. This funding will see 24 superb universities and colleges offer more students places to learn these skills of the future.

We know our outstanding Armed Forces are only as strong as the industry that stands behind them, and through this investment we're strengthening our national security and helping drive defence as an engine for growth.

The funding will support the creation of new undergraduate degrees in areas such as Cyber Defence Intelligence and Autonomous Systems and increase defence-related industry placements and projects. In the coming years, this will create a pipeline of skilled graduates in the defence sector and enable more joint projects between academic institutions and defence industries.

The MOD is the largest provider of apprenticeships in the UK, supporting over 24,000 apprenticeships last year. This is the largest single investment within the £182 million Defence Industrial Strategy skills package, demonstrating the Government's commitment to ensuring the defence sector has the workforce it needs for the future.

Minister for Skills Jacqui Smith said:

A strong defence sector needs a strong skills pipeline. This investment will help thousands more people gain the qualifications needed for rewarding careers in defence, working to protect our national security and boost our economic growth.

By expanding access to high-demand courses in the defence sector, we are creating new opportunities for learners across the country while helping employers access the skilled workforce they need.

This is a clear example of education and industry working together to deliver growth, strengthen Britain's defence capability and support the jobs of the future.

The investment comes as part of the government's Strategic Priorities Grant and boosts places for students from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, helping to build skills and drive growth across the country. Work is ongoing with devolved governments to assess specific skills needs and funding options across the rest of the UK.

The competition, run by the Office for Students, was designed to connect education more closely to the defence sector's skills needs. This is being delivered through the Government's commitment to the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the end of the Cold War - hitting 2.6% of GDP from 2027.

The Government's comprehensive defence skills package also includes £50 million to establish five Defence Technical Excellence Colleges in Blackpool, Plymouth, Lincoln, Rotherham and Yeovil, training people in the skills needed to secure new defence jobs in this growing industry.

CEO of ADS Group, Kevin Craven said:

Expanding capacity across universities and colleges will open up more high-quality pathways into well-paid jobs in sectors critical to national security, from engineering to cyber - and is the most recent example of MoD putting people first.

Our latest data highlights that increases in defence investment could create 50,000 jobs by 2030, on top of the 180,000 high-quality jobs already found across our sectors. Demand is rising for skilled talent in our sectors, and against our wider complex geopolitical backdrop this is a hugely welcome announcement!

Vivienne Stern, MBE, Chief Executive of Universities UK, said:

Universities are central to building the skills needed for a new era of UK defence, drawing on their world-leading teaching, research, and partnerships with industry.

We welcome the outcomes of the £80 million Strategic Priorities Grant competition to strengthen the skills pipeline. With over 100 applications to participate, universities are ready to step up to deliver for the country, providing opportunities for young people and supporting the industry-aligned talent that the UK defence sector relies on.

It is critical that the wider Strategic Priorities Grant continues to support high-cost subjects that are vital to the UK's needs"

Notes to editors

The 24 institutions which have been awarded funding are:

• Bournemouth University Higher Education Corporation
• University of Winchester
• Lincoln College
• City College Plymouth
• The University of Birmingham
• University of Liverpool
• Birmingham City University
• University of Durham
• University of Lincoln
• University of Sheffield
• University of Southampton
• The University of Surrey
• Teesside University
• The University of Warwick
• The University of Westminster
• Yeovil College
• Aston University
• University of Exeter
• University of Newcastle upon Tyne
• University of Plymouth
• The University of Cumbria
• St Mary's University, Twickenham, London
• The University of Bath
• New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering