An initiative of and promoted by the Baker Dearing Educational Trust

Curriculum:
Role of employers and university
Employers and the university provide leadership for
the structure of the curriculum of the UTC rather than
mere approval. They endorse all the qualifications the
UTC offers. They take an active role in the education
of UTC students, both as governors and through help
with the delivery of the curriculum.
All students undertake a range of employer challenges
or commissions. These are substantial and lengthy
projects which are of real interest to employers or
university, and which enable students to understand
the relevance of their learning to employment or
higher education. They also receive guidance as to the
business and enterprise implications of the challenge.
Careers guidance
and experience of work
Careers advice and guidance is explicit, and is
integrated into mainstream studies. Employers and the
university also make an active contribution to a careers
advice programme with staff giving short and informal
presentations to students, which explain what their job
entails. This may be part of an employer challenge.
Also, advice and guidance is offered to individual
students who wish to look at a career option in more
detail. This might be part of work experience.
Forty days’ experience of work is a planned part of
the curriculum during these years. It is clearly related
to the students’ academic and technical studies. The
experience builds on work experience enjoyed pre-16,
being more ambitious and demanding of the student.
It might have an international dimension. Experience
of work can take place within the UTC in activities
guided by partner employers.
Outcomes
Although the UTC has regard for national performance
tables, the key outcome for the UTC is the successful
progression of students to the next stage of their
education or training. This might be an apprenticeship,
higher or further education or a job with training. All
students leave the UTC to join one of these routes
and the UTC monitors the success of their students in
whatever route they choose.
Successful progression depends on students gaining
appropriate qualifications, experience of the work
place and higher education and developing good
attitudes and employability skills.
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