A NEW university in Hereford is "now ready for liftoff" following the announcement of £15million in government funding.

Universities minister Jo Johnson today announced funding of up to £15 million over three years to support the establishment of The New Model in Technology and Engineering (NMiTE).

The team behind the new university is now aiming to take its first cohort of students in September 2020.

The university will be based at a new campus in Hereford city centre and aims to address the growing need for engineering talent in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, bio-medical and cyber.

The funding, which relies on the project meeting a set of milestones and criteria, will be used to develop the faculty, campus and curriculum.

In March of this year the university also received £8m in start-up funding from the government, as part of the Marches Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) Growth Deal.

Founding president and chief executive, Professor Janusz Kozinski, said: “With this terrific investment from the government we are now ready for liftoff.

“We will be totally reimagining and redesigning the higher education experience for the young people who will create Britain’s future.

“If Britain is to lead the next industrial revolution, driven by artificial intelligence, driverless cars and 4D printing, we need to educate young people to be pioneers and creators.

“We need to give them the confidence to think beyond their textbooks, the freedom to be daring, and the tenacity to turn ideas into new products, new companies and even entirely new industries.

“The future of higher education for engineers is arriving very soon, in Hereford.”

NMiTE is taking a radical approach to training the next generation of engineers, including having a 50:50 gender balance target, six to 12 month compulsory work placements, and recruiting graduates from non-traditional backgrounds.

It will also offer accelerated degrees, meaning students can complete their degrees in two years.

NMiTE will work closely with local employers including QinetiQ and Heineken, as well as Warwick University, on the design of the curriculum, producing graduates who are ready for the demands of the job market.

Herefordshire is one of only three English counties not to have a university, leading to an estimated 1,800 young people between the ages of 16 and 25 leaving the county for higher education or graduate jobs.

Toby Kinnaird, MD of Barrs Court Engineering in Hereford, said: “The area is dominated by larger SMEs many of which are key links in national and international supply chains.

“The university will be key to upskilling the local and regional workforce, boosting productivity and enabling many companies to innovate faster and compete globally.”