Tech Partnership Degrees to join forces with techUK
Tech Partnership Degrees enables employers to collaborate to strengthen the flow of talent into digital careers. Its Tech Industry Gold accreditation for degrees and degree apprenticeships has set exceptional new standards for employability, academic achievement and inclusivity. techUK is the UK’s leading technology membership organisation, with more than 850 members spread across the UK. It facilitates collaboration across industry, government and stakeholders to fulfil the potential of technology to deliver a stronger society and more sustainable future.
For Tech Partnership Degrees, coming together with techUK will enable it to develop more quickly, with broader employer backing, deeper connection to work on skills policy and the benefit of operational synergies. For techUK, Tech Partnership Degrees brings a delivery capability to support existing policy work and enable a greater impact on skills at a national level.
Our world is more online than ever before. The digital sector is at the heart of business and society, and of innovation in every aspect of our lives. Strengthening the supply of digital skills has never been more important.
I am very proud of the work Tech Partnership Degrees has done - and the Tech Partnership / e-skills UK before it - to bring together employers and education, transforming curricula and giving thousands of people the skills to succeed. I am delighted that we are able to join with techUK, combining the power of these two organisations to the benefit of industry, academia, and, most importantly, the individuals whose skills will make a critical difference to the future world in which we will all be living.
Phil Smith CBE, Chair of Tech Partnership Degrees
Having supported the accreditation work of the Tech Partnership for many years, we are delighted that the Tech Partnership Degrees organisation will become part of the techUK family. This brings cohesion to the UK’s digital skills agenda and the ability to accelerate our collective impact.
As our dependency on tech becomes ever more important, creating the opportunity to enhance digital skills is a top priority for industry and for Government. This partnership enables techUK to continue to champion the importance of digital inclusion, widen pathways to learning and pivot skills towards the tech sector.
Jacqueline de Rojas CBE, President of techUK
“Getting together with techUK means we can further enrich our offerings, at a time when practical support to Higher Education Institutions, students, degree apprentices and businesses has never been more important. As for so many organisations, we have moved online in response to the coronavirus pandemic and created new ways to help our customers – for example with online student / employer networking, bite-size industry lectures and virtual open days.
We are also very proud of the impact of our programmes on inclusivity, in particular encouraging females and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds to embark on digital careers. Industry backing and focus on employability skills is the key to this, and we look forward to expanding our programmes and giving students access to an even wider range of employers with techUK.”
Karen Price, Executive Director, Tech Partnership Degrees
Operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of techUK from 1st October 2020, Tech Partnership Degrees will continue to be a legal entity in its own right, led by its cross-sector Employer Board. Those currently working for Tech Partnership Degrees will continue to do so, supplemented by a new Managing Director whose recruitment is now commencing. The MD will take a lead role in expanding the organisation’s work and taking advantage of the opportunities arising from becoming part of techUK.
Further information about Tech Partnership Degrees and techUK can be found at www.tpdegrees.com and www.techuk.org
For enquiries, please email [email protected] or [email protected].
Questions and Answers
What does this mean for employers?
The intention is to scale up more quickly, giving access to a larger pool of talented graduates and a greater range of degree apprenticeship programmes.
Other than this, the move to techUK will not involve any change for employers who are, or who would in the future like to be involved with Tech Partnership Degrees. For example, Tech Partnership Degrees will continue to:
- operate the Tech Industry Gold accreditation, bring together employer support for students on accredited degrees, and help employers collaborate on high quality degree apprenticeships;
- operate as a legal entity in its own right, with an influential, cross-sector Employer Board and legal Board of Directors;
- engage with employers of all sizes and all sectors.
Sue Stevens will continue to lead on Tech Industry Gold degrees and Bob Clift will continue to lead on Tech Industry Gold degree apprenticeships.
There will be no requirement for employers to be techUK members to be involved with Tech Partnership Degrees. techUK members will be informed about and encouraged to engage with the work of Tech Partnership Degrees.
What does this mean for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs)?
The intention is to scale up more quickly, enabling more HEIs to get involved and benefit from increased demand from students and employers. HEIs and students are expected to benefit from the increase in the range of employers involved and greater cohesion across the sector on skills matters.
Other than this, the move to techUK will not involve any change for HEIs who are, or who would in the future like to be involved with Tech Partnership Degrees. For example, Tech Partnership Degrees will continue to:
- operate the Tech Industry Gold accreditation, bring together employer support for students on accredited degrees, and help employers collaborate on high quality degree apprenticeships;
- operate as a legal entity in its own right, with an influential, cross-sector Employer Board and legal Board of Directors;
- engage with employers of all sizes and all sectors.
Sue Stevens will continue to lead on Tech Industry Gold degrees and Bob Clift will continue to lead on Tech Industry Gold degree apprenticeships.
There will be no change to the agreements HEIs have with Tech Partnership Degrees. As a wholly owned subsidiary, Tech Partnership Degrees will continue as a legal entity in its own right, so there will be no change to or novation of existing contracts and Documents of Understanding.
What does this mean for students and degree apprentices?
The intention is to scale up more quickly, giving more opportunities to potential students and degree apprentices, and enabling those on Tech Industry Gold accredited programmes to benefit from an increase in the range of employers involved.
Other than this, the move to techUK will not involve any change for students and degree apprentices. Tech Partnership Degrees will continue to bring together employer support for those on accredited programmes. This includes:
running national Student / Employer Events, competitions and employer / student networking;
- running national Degree Apprenticeship events;
- organising Industry Insights lectures;
- maintaining the student and alumni networks;
- facilitating access to placements and job opportunities.
Why has Tech Partnership Degrees decided to do this?
Employers collaborate through Tech Partnership Degrees to strengthen the flow of talent into digital careers. Joining forces with techUK will enable more undergraduates to benefit from industry-backed degrees, more employers to offer high quality degree apprenticeships, and create a stronger skills pipeline to help the UK stay in the forefront of an increasingly digital world.
Why has techUK decided to do this?
techUK has a long history of supporting the collective work of employers on skills. Digital skills are a top priority for techUK’s members. The organisation invests significantly in work on skills policy, and its CEO Julian David served on the Tech Partnership Board of Directors for several years.
Tech Partnership Degrees becoming part of techUK brings together a delivery capability with existing policy work to make a bigger impact at a national level.
Will there by changes in the governance of Tech Partnership Degrees?
The Tech Partnership Degrees Employer Board will continue to provide employer leadership and set the strategic direction for the work of Tech Partnership Degrees, while the legal Board of Directors has overall responsibility for the company and carries fiduciary duties.
The techUK CEO will become a member of the legal Board of Directors of Tech Partnership Degrees, along with the new MD and employers representing the Tech Partnership Degrees Employer Board.
About Tech Partnership Degrees
Employer-led and not-for-profit, Tech Partnership Degrees unites employers and Higher Education Institutions to improve the flow of talent into the digital workforce. It is responsible for Tech Industry Gold, the industry accreditation for digital and tech degrees and degree apprenticeships.
Tech Industry Gold programmes are designed to meet employer defined standards and are actively supported by employers in their delivery. They integrate industry-relevant academic learning with the technical, business and interpersonal skills needed to excel in digital careers.
The Tech Partnership Degrees Employer Board comprises senior executives from Accenture, Air Products, Amazon, Bain & Company, Barclaycard, BT, Capgemini, CGI, Cisco, Deloitte, the Department for Work and Pensions, Equanimity, Fujitsu, HSBC, IBM, Jaguar Land Rover, Network Rail, NHS Digital, Quicksilva, SAS, Tata Consultancy Services and VMWare.
About techUK
techUK is a membership organisation that brings together people, companies and organisations to realise the positive outcomes of what digital technology can achieve. It collaborates across business, government and stakeholders to fulfil the potential of technology to deliver a stronger society and more sustainable future.
techUK has over 850 companies in its membership, collectively they employ more than 700,000 people. These companies range from leading FTSE 100 companies to new innovative start-ups. The majority of its members are small and medium sized businesses.