The government has launched the competition for the second wave of the new Institutes of Technology.

The institutes bring together colleges, universities and businesses, and offer higher technical STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) education and training, mainly at levels 4 and 5, in key sectors such as digital, construction, advanced manufacturing and engineering.

The government plans to invest a total of £290 million to establish a network of 20 employer-led IoTs, with the aim for every area of the country to have access to one. £120 million has been made available for this second wave, which is open to all regions of the country currently without an Institute of Technology, including the North West, Midlands, East of England and parts of the South East.

The launch of the competition builds on the success of wave one, which selected 12 Institutes of Technology, with many already up and running in areas of the country including the South West, Midlands, Yorkshire, the North East, and London.

Youth employment: 6,000 people sign up to Kickstart programme on day 1

Need to know: What are level 4 and 5 qualifications?

Institutes of Technology: £120m for 8 new institutes of technology announced

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “I’m thrilled to launch the competition to find the next wave of Institutes of Technology, which will play such an important role in levelling up skills and opportunity across the country.

“Institutes of Technology are the pinnacle in higher technical education. By bringing together further education colleges, universities and businesses we can make sure more people can get the skills they need to secure rewarding careers, and employers can get the talented workforce they need to grow.

“The expertise Institutes of Technology will help to deliver in vital sectors, including digital, construction and engineering, will be even more important as we build back better after the pandemic. I’d encourage any providers interested to apply.”