UK government approves new University Technical Colleges

For the past four years, the Baker Dearing Educational Trust has been working with the Department for Education, local employers, universities and further education colleges to develop a national network of UTCs.

UTCs, open to 14–19 year olds, are sponsored by a university and local employers with the latter helping to shape the curriculum. Designed to meet the shortfall of engineers and technicians, UTCs are expected to offer students a high-quality, technical education, which can lead to apprenticeships, foundation and higher degrees.

Dr Ralf Speth, chief executive officer Jaguar Land Rover, supporting the WMG Academy for Young Engineers at Warwick University, said: ‘The UTC will help to address very important issues at the beginning of the educational cycle, namely exciting young people about careers in engineering, and developing the pool of talent that we can all rely upon for future generations to come.’

The JCB Academy and Black Country UTC are already operating with three more in Birmingham, Hackney and Houghton Regis due to open in September this year.