New University Technical College launches the careers of future scientists and engineers
The University of Southampton is playing a significant role in the launch of a new University Technical College (UTC) in Salisbury specialising in science and engineering for young people aged 14-18. It will open its doors in September 2015 and almost all the places for its first cohort of students have already been taken.
Notes for editors
Dr Stephen Prior, Reader in Unmanned Air Vehicles, is leading on the project for the University. “The UTC has been set up to enthuse young people about science and engineering,” he says. “We believe many of its students will choose to stay on in education and further their studies with us at Southampton or at another university.”
South Wiltshire UTC is attracting students from up to 25 miles in every direction from Salisbury. It has gained strong support from local science and engineering employers, especially those involved in defence and protective science. Employers provide guest lecturers, real world business challenges and work placements for students and teaching staff. The UTC will prepare young people for higher education and Apprenticeships and its 9-5 business day allows young people to gain industry-approved technical qualifications alongside GCSEs and A Levels.
Lecturers and research students from across the University of Southampton will provide guest lectures, case studies, access to specialist equipment and advice on curriculum development and highlight the wide range of exciting career opportunities in the sector. The UTC will be open 40 weeks a year and operate between 8.30am and 5.00pm, which means it will give almost a third more study time each year than a typical school.
The UTC’s Principal Gordon Aitken stresses the unique partnership behind the venture: “The UTC is a different offer to anything currently available to young people. It brings together experts from the University, employers and the armed forces to bring learning to life and link what young people learn in the classroom and workshop to the skills they will need to succeed in their future careers.”