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Sussex & Surrey IoT welcomes MPs to discuss higher technical skills

Liberal Democrat education spokespeople visited Sussex & Surrey Institute of Technology to explore how colleges, universities and employers are working together to address the ‘missing middle’ in higher technical education.

October 2026

Sussex & Surrey Institute of Technology (SSIoT) welcomed Munira Wilson MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education, Children and Families, and Ian Sollom MP, Spokesperson for Universities and Skills, to its new facility at Crawley College to discuss the importance of Level 4 and 5 technical education in meeting regional skills needs.

During the visit, the MPs met students and staff, toured the IoT's specialist engineering and digital ‘Learning Factories’, and joined a discussion with employers, education partners and the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. Discussions focused on increasing participation in higher technical education, improving awareness of technical pathways and addressing barriers to their delivery.

SSIoT is a £15 million partnership led by Chichester College Group, bringing together further education colleges, universities and employers to deliver higher technical education aligned with regional skills needs. Its partners include the Universities of Sussex, Brighton and Chichester, and Nescot (North East Surrey College of Technology), alongside employers such as Gatwick Airport and Roche Diagnostics.

The partnership is working to develop the technical skills needed to support regional priorities, including Gatwick's Northern Runway expansion, net-zero construction and the growing digital economy.

The visit highlighted the role of IoTs in bringing education and industry together to develop technical pathways that respond to local employer needs. Ian Sollom MP welcomed the collaboration between further and higher education providers and employers:

“I think what’s really impressive is to see how the ecosystem of post-16 education is working in Sussex and Surrey. I think it’s really good to see different education providers from Higher Education and Further Education coming together and working with employers to make an offering that’s really good for the young people of the region.”

Ian Sollom
MP for St Neots and Mid Cambridgeshire

Munira Wilson MP praised the facilities and opportunities available to learners:

“It’s brilliant to see this kind of facility here in Sussex that’s available to lots of young people who want to come and do technical and vocational training, working with local employers and providers right across the region. It’s been a really inspiring visit.”

Munira Wilson
MP for Twickenham

Addressing the ‘missing middle’

Level 4 and 5 qualifications, including Higher Technical Qualifications (HTQs), offer routes into skilled technical occupations, but participation and awareness remain relatively low.

During the visit, participants discussed barriers to increasing participation, including limited awareness of higher technical routes, funding arrangements, the financial viability of provision and the importance of employer engagement.

These challenges are particularly relevant to Sussex and Surrey, where Local Skills Improvement Plans have identified demand for higher-level technical skills across a range of sectors. Through collaboration between colleges, universities and employers, SSIoT aims to help meet these needs while creating more opportunities for learners to develop advanced technical skills.

“Level 4 and 5 qualifications are the missing middle of our skills system, and employers across Sussex and Surrey continuously tell us of their challenges. We’re working with partners like Gatwick Airport and Roche Diagnostics to build the technicians and engineers the region needs […]. We were delighted to show Munira and Ian what colleges, universities and employers can achieve together.”

Paul Rolfe
Director, Sussex & Surrey Institute of Technology

The visit demonstrated the importance of collaboration between education providers, employers and policymakers in strengthening higher technical education and developing the skilled workforce needed across England.

Institutes of Technology are a national network stretching from Truro to Tyneside, collectively comprising over 70 further education colleges, 30 universities, and 80 employer partners. Our mission is to equip individuals with the advanced technical skills that drive innovation and meet employers’ evolving needs.

To get in touch with your local Institute of Technology, visit our Find an IoT page.

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