Unique partnership with the Army brings UTC success
A unique partnership between the University of Southampton, Wiltshire College and the Army has been approved to open a University Technical College (UTC) in Salisbury. UTCs are new state schools for 14-18 year-olds, specialising in Science and Engineering and open to all. There are only around a dozen currently operating in England with more due to open in the next two years.
This will be the first UTC in the country to use the skill needs of the Defence and Protective Science industries to structure students’ learning.
Vice-Chancellor of the University of Southampton, Professor Don Nutbeam, says: “The University is delighted at the success of the UTC application. The UTC will offer an exciting new option for young people, giving them the skills and understanding to progress to science and engineering courses at top universities and to take advantage of the huge job opportunities in the region. As University sponsor, we will work closely with the UTC to ensure that it offers a relevant and stretching curriculum and will give the students access to our world-leading facilities and industry experts.”
Project Manager Gordon Aitken explains the thinking behind the development: “Defence and Protective Science industries dominate the economy of South Wiltshire and provide huge employment opportunities for young people with the right skills. The Army is increasingly concentrating its armoured and engineering regiments on Salisbury Plain, while Porton Down is home to world-leading organisations specialising in health protection and defence science.”
The partnership behind the UTC includes the University of Southampton, 43 (Wessex) Brigade, Wiltshire College, Wiltshire Council and major employers including QinetiQ, the Health Protection Agency, Tetricus Science Park, the Defence Scientific and Technology Laboratory, Wallop Defence Systems and Chemring Countermeasures.
The commander of the 43 (Wessex) Brigade, Brigadier Piers Hankinson explains the significance for the Army: “The Government has announced the Army’s future Basing Plan that will result in approximately 25 per cent of the Army and their dependants being based in Wiltshire from 2018. This will include the strongest concentration of armoured and engineering regiments in the country. South Wiltshire UTC will be a great new option for service families as well as providing local businesses with the skilled employees they will need to be part of the Army’s growing supply and support chain. We look forward to working very closely with the UTC in a mutually beneficial relationship.”
UTC students work ‘business hours’ attending from 8.30am to 5pm for 40 weeks a year. This means the equivalent of around half a year of extra teaching each year compared to most schools. The extra teaching time allows students to gain industry-recognised Engineering and Science qualifications alongside more traditional academic qualifications like GCSEs and A-levels.
The UTC will not be able to accept applications until early in 2014, but parents, potential students and interested residents can register to be kept in touch with developments by visiting
www.wiltshire-utc.co.uk
Notes for editors
1. UTCs are funded under the Academies programme and are state 14-18 schools run by a charitable trust that is entirely independent of any other institution.
2. When full, the South Wiltshire UTC will have around 630 pupils spanning Years 10-13 (i.e. the GCSE and sixth form phases of education).
3. 33 UTCs have been either opened or approved. The nearest to Salisbury are in North Bristol (due to open in 2013) and Swindon (due to open in 2014).
4. The Baker Dearing Educational Trust (
www.utcolleges.co.uk
) promotes the idea of UTCs and advises the Government on their introduction. The initiative has all party support. Lord Baker, the former Kenneth Baker, is Chairman of the Trust and gave enthusiastic support to the South Wiltshire proposal when he visited in October.
5. The South Wiltshire Defence Industries UTC would be located in central Salisbury but with a 20-mile catchment area that would include Southampton, Eastleigh, Andover and parts of Dorset as well as South Wiltshire up to Warminster and Pewsey.
6. UTCs are non-selective and are open to both genders and all abilities.
7. The proposal has the backing of the 43 Wessex Brigade and leading science and engineering companies, including the Health Protection Agency, Securebio, The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), Serco, Aspire Defence Services, QinetiQ, Wallop Defence Systems and Chemring Countermeasures. It is aligned to the Porton Science Park extension which last year received a £10m expansion grant.
8. The South Wiltshire partnership will receive £300,000 in development funding from the Government to plan for the school opening and consult with local stakeholders.
9. In the past, successful UTCs have received around £10m in capital funding and around £3m a year in revenue funding, equating to £40m over ten years.
10. The South Wiltshire UTC now enters a pre-opening stage and will be required to consult widely with local stakeholders and agree a formal Funding Agreement with the Department for Education prior to opening in September 2014.
11. The University of Southampton is a leading UK teaching and research institution with a global reputation for leading-edge research and scholarship across a wide range of subjects in engineering, science, social sciences, health and humanities.
With over 23,000 students, around 5000 staff, and an annual turnover well in excess of £435 million, the University of Southampton is acknowledged as one of the country's top institutions for engineering, computer science and medicine. We combine academic excellence with an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to research, supporting a culture that engages and challenges students and staff in their pursuit of learning.
The University is also home to a number of world-leading research centres including the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, the Optoelectronics Research Centre, the Institute for Life Sciences, the Web Science Trust and Doctoral training Centre, the Centre for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, the Southampton Statistical Sciences Research Institute and is a partner of the National Oceanography Centre at the Southampton waterfront campus.