The project will map the different ways IHE Members work with industry, identify what makes these partnerships effective, and provide insights into the policy, regulatory and funding factors that enable or constrain growth.
Drawing on findings from the 2025 IHE Survey alongside semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions with IHE Members and external stakeholders, the research will help build a clearer picture of the diversity and impact of these partnerships across different sectors. By deepening understanding of these collaborations and the conditions that support them, the project aims to inform future policy, strengthen members’ engagement with national and local skills initiatives, and unlock new opportunities for providers to contribute to the workforce needs of the future.
A Project Advisory Group formed of IHE Members and external stakeholders will provide strategic guidance, expert insight, and sector-specific perspectives in support of the research aims and objectives.
The project will report in the summer of 2026.
Project Advisory Group - IHE Members
- Academy of Contemporary Music (ACM)
- Academy of Live Technology (ALT)
- New Model for Institute for Technology and Engineering (NMITE)
- Tiro
- University of the Built Environment (UBE)
- Norland College
Project Advisory Group - External stakeholders
- Edge Foundation
- Salford City Council
- Oxford Data Technologies
- Graduate Futures Institute (GFI)
- National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB)
- British Chambers of Commerce (BCC)
- Creative UK
