New wave of approved UTCs will take total to 45
New university technical colleges will open from September 2014 to specialise in demanding technical subjects.
The Government today announced that 13 new University Technical Colleges are set to open from September 2014 - backed by more than 140 major employers and universities.
The projects have all been approved to move to pre-opening stage and are spread across England. Each will specialise in demanding technical subjects, including engineering, digital technologies and biomedical science. More than 8000 young people will study at them. They will be taught core GCSEs alongside vocational qualifications, and will leave with the technical knowledge and skills, underpinned by academic rigour, that industry demands.
These 13 UTCs join 27 that are already preparing to open and five currently open. Together they will allow around 27,500 students to train as the engineers, scientists and technicians of the future.
Schools Minister Lord Nash said:
I am delighted with the very strong field of UTC proposals we are progressing to the next stage. The growing number of top employers and universities involved in UTCs underlines the importance of making rigorous technical education an option for young people.
It is vitally important that young people have the skills and experience wanted by employers, both for their own prosperity and to help us compete in the global race.
Lord Baker, Chairman of the Baker Dearing Trust, said:
I am delighted to see that the Government has today approved a further 13 University Technical Colleges to open around the country. UTCs are an innovative approach to education - designed to fill the skills gap in the UK by providing high quality training for technicians and engineers.
The Baker Dearing Educational Trust has been working hard for the past five years to establish a national network of UTCs and today’s announcement will bring the total number to 45. This is excellent news for employers, students and the UK as a whole. We want to see a substantial increase in UTCs to build upon the proven success. I am therefore very pleased that the Department has announced the next round with applications to be submitted in September 2013.
Erich Thanner, HR Director, MINI Plants Oxford and Swindon, said:
At MINI working with local partners to foster links between our factories and young people in the area is very important to us. We are very happy to support the proposed UTC and look forward to working in this partnership.
The projects announced today are (arranged by region):
London
- Mulberry UTC in Tower Hamlets, east London. It will specialise in healthcare and medical services, and digital technology. Its proposer is the Mulberry School for Girls. The university sponsor is Goldsmith College (University of London). Its partners include Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Barts Health NHS Trust and the British Film Institute.
- Tottenham UTC in Haringey, north London. It will specialise in the technology of science, sport and health. Its proposer is Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. The university sponsor is Middlesex University. Its partners include Festo UK and Fusion Lifestyle.
- London Design and Engineering UTC in Newham, east London. Its proposer is Alpha Building Services Engineering. The university sponsor is the University of East London. Partners include Thames Water and London Legacy Development Corporation.
South East
- Medway UTC in Chatham, Kent. It will specialise in engineering and construction. Its proposer and university backer is the University of Greenwich. Partners include BAE Systems, Denne Construction and the Royal School of Military Engineers.
- CleanTech UTC in Newhaven, East Sussex. Its specialism is environmental and marine engineering. Its proposer is the Aldridge Foundation. The university sponsor is the University of Brighton. Its partners include Veolia Environmental Services and Lewes District Council.
- The Watford UTC in Hertfordshire. It will specialise in computer science, hospitality and tourism. Its proposer is the Meller Educational Trust. The university sponsor is the University of Hertfordshire. Partners include Hilton Hotels.
- Science UTC Oxfordshire. It will specialise in science research, engineering and computing. Its proposer is Oxford and Cherwell Valley College. The university sponsor is the University of Reading. Its partners include BMW, IBM, Culham Science Centre, and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
South West
- South Devon UTC. It will specialise in engineering and science (water and the environment). Its proposer is South Devon College. Exeter University is the university sponsor. Partners include Centrax, Galliford Try and South West Water.
- South Wiltshire Defence Industries UTC in Salisbury. It will specialise in science and engineering for the defence industries. Its proposer is South Wiltshire College. Its university sponsor is University of Southampton. Its partners include QinetiQ, 43 Wessex Brigade, Aspire Defence Services, the Defence Science Technology Laboratory, Serco and the Health Protection Agency.
West Midlands
- Burton and South Derbyshire UTC in Burton-upon-Trent. It will specialise in biomedical science and engineering. Its proposer is Burton and South Derbyshire College. The university sponsor is Coventry University. Partners include the new National Football Centre, Nestle, Toyota and the FA Medical Education.
- Health Futures UTC in Sandwell. It will specialise in health and health sciences. The proposer and university sponsor is the University of Wolverhampton. Partners include the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust and the Co-operative Pharmacy (Midcounties).
East Midlands
- Derby Manufacturing UTC. It will specialise in engineering-related manufacturing. Its proposer is Derby College. The university sponsor is the University of Derby. Partners include Rolls-Royce and Toyota Motor Manufacturing.
North West
- North East Greater Manchester UTC. It will specialise in sustainable engineering and construction. Its proposer is Equity Solutions. Its university sponsor is the University of Bolton. Its partners include Laing O’Rourke and LG Energy Solutions.
Notes to editors:
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The successful UTCs have been through a rigorous process including assessment and interview held in the Department in January this year.
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UTCs are Academies for 14- to 19-year-olds which focus on delivering technical education that engages young people and meets the needs of modern business. They offer full-time courses which combine practical and academic studies. Employers are put in the driving seat meaning that students benefit from a curriculum designed by experts in the field and are then supported to learn through work placements and access to industry standard facilities and equipment.
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All UTCs:
- Are sponsored by a local university and employers. Further education colleges and other educational institutions often work in partnership with them.
- Specialise in one or two curriculum areas (eg engineering, science).
- Teach core GCSEs alongside technical qualifications, and offer young people the opportunity to achieve the English Baccalaureate.
- Focus on disciplines requiring highly-specialised equipment, for example, engineering, manufacturing with product design and construction.
- Teach these disciplines alongside developing young people’s business, ICT, and design skills to prepare students for a range of careers and pathways at 19.
- Have 500 to 800 students.
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UTCs have the same freedoms as Free Schools and Academies. This allows them to be innovative in, for instance, in how they may choose to employ engineers with an industry background alongside qualified teachers; how they develop and deliver innovative projects for pupils; and how they extend the school year and day to prepare students for the world of work.
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In addition to the 13 approved today, five UTCs are already open and a further 27 are working to open either this September or September 2014 (see below table).
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The Department has recently published on its website arrangements for inviting the next wave of applications. There will be two UTC application rounds a year - the next ones being in September 2013 and spring 2014. Guidance and application forms for the next round will be published in May 2013.
Open UTCs and projects already approved to pre-opening
5 Open UTCS
| Name of UTC | Specialism | LA | Year of opening |
| JCB Academy | Engineering and Enterprise | Staffordshire | 2010 |
| Black Country UTC | Advanced Engineering and Science | Walsall | 2011 |
| Aston UTC | Engineering and Science | Birmingham | 2012 |
| Central Bedfordshire UTC | Engineering and Manufacturing | Central Bedfordshire | 2012 |
| Hackney UTC | Digital Media and Healthcare | Hackney | 2012 |
27 Pre-opening UTCs (to open in September 2013 or 2014)
| Name of UTC | Specialism | LA |
| Bristol Technology & Engineering | Engineering and Environmental Technology | South Gloucestershire |
| Buckinghamshire UTC | Construction and IT | Buckinghamshire |
| Liverpool Life Sciences UTC | Life Sciences | Liverpool |
| Sheffield UTC | Engineering, Creative and Digital Media | Sheffield |
| Silverstone UTC | High Performance Engineering and Technology, Events Management | Northamptonshire |
| The Elstree UTC | Entertainment Technologies, Electrical Engineering | Hertfordshire |
| The UTC for New Technologies for Daventry | Engineering and Construction | Northamptonshire |
| UTC Plymouth | Marine Engineering and Manufacturing | Plymouth |
| UTC Reading | Computer Science and Engineering | Reading |
| UTC, Royal Borough of Greenwich | Engineering and Construction | Royal Borough of Greenwich |
| Visions Learning Trust UTC, Burnley | Construction and Engineering | Lancashire |
| Wigan UTC | Manufacturing Engineering, Environmental Technology | Wigan |
| Birkenhead Engineering UTC | Engineering | Wirral |
| Cambridge UTC | Bio-Medical and Environmental Science and Technology | Cambridge |
| East London UTC | Engineering and Product Design | Havering |
| Energy Coast UTC | Construction and Engineering | Cumbria |
| Heathrow Aviation Engineering UTC | Aviation Engineering | Hillingdon |
| Leigh UTC, Dartford | Engineering and Computer Science | Kent |
| Lincoln UTC | Engineering and Core Science | Lincolnshire |
| Liverpool Low Carbon and SuperPort UTC | Engineering and Logistics | Liverpool |
| MediaCity UTC | Creative and Digital Industries, Entrepreneurship | Salford |
| Norfolk UTC | Advanced Engineering and Energy Skills | Norfolk |
| Southbank UTC | Medical Engineering and Medical Technology | Southwark |
| The Sir Charles Kao UTC, Harlow | Environmental Engineering and Medical Technology | Essex |
| UTC Swindon | Engineering | Swindon |
| West Midlands Construction UTC | Construction, IT in the Built Environment | Walsall |
| WMG Academy for Young Engineers, Warwick | Engineering (with Digital Technology) | Coventry |
Regional breakdown of UTCs
| Region | Newly-approved applications | Total number of UTCs open/in development |
| North East | 0 | 0 |
| North West | 1 | 8 |
| Yorkshire and Humber | 0 | 1 |
| East Midlands | 1 | 4 |
| West Midlands | 2 | 7 |
| East of England | 0 | 5 |
| South East | 4 | 7 |
| South West | 2 | 5 |
| London | 3 | 8 |
| TOTAL | 13 | 45 |
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