An initiative of and promoted by the Baker Dearing Educational Trust

University Technical Colleges
The UK is about to embark on the building of new power stations, wind farms and more carbonefficient
houses, as well as developing a fast rail link. To master these opportunities we need the
right skills at all levels, from the mechanic to the graduate engineer and the post-graduate nuclear
researcher. We also need more inventors and technical designers.
The education and training of such professionals, however, is often undervalued and underresourced.
In the 21st century we need to train more technicians and engineers, right up to
degree standard. This starts with the high level practical and academic education of the type
which University Technical Colleges provide.
University Technical Colleges (UTCs) are a new
concept in education. They offer 14-18 year olds the
opportunity to take a highly regarded, technicallyoriented
course of study at a specialist college
equipped to the highest standards. UTCs are
sponsored by a university and employers, sometimes
in partnership with a college of further education, and
offer clear progression routes into higher education or
further learning in work.
• They are academies with a comprehensive, allability
intake.
• They have a longer school day, typically 8.30am
to 5pm.
• They are demand led, in response to repeated
demands from industry for an increased
number of well-educated, high status
technicians and engineers.
• They typically have around 600 students, a
deliberately small size to foster loyalty and so
that each student is known individually. The size
also ensures that numbers in nearby schools
are not unduly disturbed.
Students start at the age of 14, combining hand
and mind to integrate broad academic study with the
technical and practical. They are trained in financial
practices and learn how to set up a business. They
also explore the historical and geographical aspects of
their specialism and technical vocabulary in a foreign
language.
UTCs specialise in subjects that require sophisticated
and modern equipment, for example: engineering,
product design, health sciences, the built environment,
land and environmental services, and digital
technology. The specialism is chosen by the university
and employers in the light of regional employment
needs.
The supply of technicians and other highly skilled
technically qualified people is vital to our economy and
UTCs will be an important source of such people.
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