Technological Universities, UK

Technological universities were a specific group of higher education institutions, created in 1966 as a response to the UK government’s wish to improve and increase the supply of graduates with the key higher level technical and vocational skills needed by industry to improve the economy. This entry summarises the history and success of this group of universities, which remain important to the government’s skills agenda into the 21st century.

Technological education became of great importance to many industrial countries, including both the United Kingdom and Germany, after World War II, when the speed of industrialisation created a demand for engineering and applied science education across the world. In the United Kingdom, this type of education was primarily delivered by the 24 colleges of advanced technology (CATs), ...