University Technical Colleges - the new approach to filling the UK skills gap
University Technical Colleges are a new style of school, open to pupils from 14-18, with an emphasis on providing a rounded, technical education. The concept is the brainchild of Lord Baker, former Education Secretary and founder of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, which drives the initiative.
The development of UTCs is in direct response to repeated demands from industry for an increased number of well-educated and high status technicians and engineers. There are some serious skills gaps in the UK and the latest Employer Skill Survey from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills underlines this. It found that more than one in five vacancies (22 per cent) across the country are hard to fill due to skill shortages in the available labour pool.
UTCs focus on STEM subjects and are helping to fill some of these shortages. The Baker Dearing Trust is investigating the possibility of a UTC in Southampton and Portsmouth.
UTCs are sponsored by a university sponsor and industry sponsors (on a non financial basis) which ensures that the skills being taught meet the needs of the local employers, as well as ensuring that the level of education being provided is as high as it can possibly be.
Each UTC has two specialisms reflecting the economic needs of the local area and these are offered in partnership with employers.
There are now 17 UTCs open and by 2016 a total of 50 will be in operation. Across the country young people are already learning the skills industry desperately needs.
Engineering students at Royal Greenwich UTC are working with Transport for London and Network Rail to understand how to build the railways of the future; young motor racing engineers learn their craft with the help of McClaren at the Silverstone UTC; and construction students at Bucks UTC are personally mentored by the CEO of Taylor Wimpey.
The results from the first UTC, JCB Academy in Staffordshire, suggest that they are set to be hugely successful. As well as an 88% pass rate in GCSE maths and outstanding results in the engineering diploma, every single leaver went on to further or higher education, apprenticeship or employment. There were no NEETs, itself a remarkable achievement.
UTCs are creating new models for working with employers to ensure that young people are ready to step confidently into the world of work.
For more information please contact Nick Barnes nbarnes@utcolleges.org or call 07850 533563 or visit the website: http://www.utcolleges.org
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