Consultation starts on new University Technical College
Local people are being invited to take part in a public consultation about a new Leeds school aimed at 14 to 18 year olds interested in careers in engineering and advanced manufacturing.
The University Technical College Leeds (UTC Leeds) is due to open its doors in September 2016 and is backed by the University of Leeds, the City Council and local organisations, including the major employers Siemens, Kodak, Unilever and Agfa.
An official six-week consultation period for the scheme began this week, following an announcement in August 2014 of Government backing for the idea.
The consultation will include a “drop in” event at the University of Leeds’ School of Mechanical Engineering on Thursday 5 February. Key participants will be on hand from 2pm and 8pm to talk to members of the public.
Information is available through the UTC Leeds website and hard-copy consultation packs are also being distributed at public buildings in Leeds city centre.
Local people are invited to complete a 5-minute questionnaire after attending the ‘informal drop in’ event or reading the consultation materials at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/UTCLeeds. They can also follow the consultation on Twitter @UTCLeeds.
Ken Cornforth, Education Lead: “We really want to get parents, students, businesses, and members of the local community involved in this ambitious project. It is about giving local young people a pathway into exciting and fulfilling careers in engineering and advanced manufacturing and we want to try to answer any questions people have.”
The UTC will be the first of its kind in Leeds. Its courses will integrate academic and practical components, with input from local employers and the University of Leeds. Alongside the University, leading partners include Kodak, Siemens, Agfa Graphics, Unilever, Clarion Solicitors, The manufacturers’ organisation EEF, Women in Science and Engineering (WISE), Leeds City Council, Leeds City College and Leeds Chamber of Commerce.
The UTC is expected to have an eventual total capacity of 600 14-18 year old pupils and will operate under the government’s academy schools programme, offering traditional GCSEs and A levels with an additional focus on advanced manufacturing and engineering.
Phil Ball, Managing Director UK at Kodak, said: “There are insufficient engineering and technically skilled people available to businesses to meet current and future demands. The UTC Leeds specialising in Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing will address this challenge by developing the next generation of engineers and manufacturers”.
Further information
Contact: Chris Bunting, Senior Press Officer, University of Leeds; phone: 0113 343 2049 or emailc.j.bunting@leeds.ac.uk
Notes for editors
The Leeds UTC is part of the national University Technical College scheme run by the Baker Dearing Educational Trust. UTCs are specialist technical schools supported by universities, industry and other partners. The schools’ curricula integrate academic, technical and practical learning. For example, a student might learn maths within a technical specialism or while working on a practical task. Employers are involved from the start in shaping the curricula.
The official six-week consultation period runs from Monday 12 January 2015 to Friday 20 February 2015.
The UTC Leeds website is at www.utcleeds.com and the college is on Twitter @UTCLeeds. Members of the public can request hard copies from or by telephoning Lesley Millard on 07921 645 756 or emailinglesleymillard@glkgroup.co.uk.
For further information regarding model Funding Agreements with the Department for Education see:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/utc-model-funding-agreement.
