East Midlands Freeport are investing more than £2m in the Future Energy Skills Hub (FESH), a project led by the East Midlands Institute of Technology (East Midlands IoT), which promotes high quality technical training and qualifications through a partnership involving Derby College Group, Loughborough College, the University of Derby, Loughborough University, and its business partners.
From September 2025, East Midlands IoT it will run FESH courses which provide higher technical skills tailored to the needs of businesses operating directly in advanced manufacturing and clean energy, but also for the increasing number of firms seeking to make a clean energy transition in their day-to-day work.
The freeport’s Seed Capital Fund invests in skills, technology, and infrastructure projects which will support growth at three sites which are expected to add £9bn to the value of the regional economy and support 28,000 new jobs.
Technical courses currently offered by East Midlands IoT which will help FESH achieve its aims of developing a pipeline of future talent include a degree in sustainable engineering at Loughborough College, a master’s degree in renewable energy systems technology at Loughborough University, a degree in manufacturing engineering at Derby College, and a degree in artificial intelligence and data science at the University of Derby.
As the FESH project evolves, East Midlands Freeport’s partners and East Midlands IoT will work to develop additional short courses for rapid upskilling and embed sustainable and green energy skills in all existing technical qualifications to provide the skills needed by businesses.
Alongside the Skills Hub, East Midlands Freeport’s £25m Seed Capital Investment Fund will also be supporting the development of a Zero Carbon Innovation Centre, that will launch in Spring 2025, alongside the universities of Nottingham and Loughborough.