Twenty-four universities and colleges across England have secured a share of £80 million in government funding aimed at expanding higher education capacity in defence-related subjects
and helping meet growing workforce demands in the UK defence industry.
The investment will support the creation of up to 2,500 additional student places over the next five years, alongside the development of new teaching facilities designed to accommodate further growth in the coming decade.
The funding has been awarded to institutions from Newcastle to Exeter and will focus on courses linked to national security and defence, including engineering, computer science, cyber security, robotics, autonomous systems, aerospace engineering and advanced manufacturing.
The successful institutions were selected from 112 applicants. A total of £50 million will be used to create the new student places, with courses beginning from autumn 2026. The remaining £30 million will fund infrastructure projects, including the construction of new teaching and training facilities.
The government says the investment is intended to address skills shortages in key defence sectors and support recommendations made in the Strategic Defence Review, which highlighted the need for a larger pipeline of skilled workers to strengthen national security.
The programme will also support the introduction of new undergraduate courses in specialist areas such as Cyber Defence Intelligence and Autonomous Systems, while expanding opportunities for industry placements and collaborative projects between universities and defence companies.
Defence Minister Luke Pollard said the funding would create new opportunities for young people to gain skills and access well-paid careers in the sector, while strengthening the industrial base that supports the Armed Forces.
Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said the investment would help more learners access high-demand courses and provide employers with the workforce needed to support both economic growth and national security.
The initiative forms part of the government's wider £182 million defence skills package. According to the Ministry of Defence, it represents the largest single investment within that programme.
The announcement comes as the government pursues plans to increase defence spending to 2.6% of GDP from 2027. Alongside university funding, the wider package includes £50 million to establish five Defence Technical Excellence Colleges in Blackpool, Plymouth, Lincoln, Rotherham and Yeovil.
The Ministry of Defence, which says it supported more than 24,000 apprenticeships last year, argues that expanding education and training opportunities will be critical to meeting future workforce requirements across the defence sector. Photo by Jungpionier, Wikimedia commons.
