New technical schools provide job boost for young people

Thousands more places offering specialist, technical education are to be created after proposals for 7 new university technical colleges (UTCs) and 4 new studio schools.

The new schools, backed by local businesses and universities, will provide more than 5,000 places (when full) for 14- to 19-year-olds. The schools will offer a more technical or vocational based education using curriculums developed in partnership with universities and employers. This will ensure students are developing the skills needed in a particular region or sector.

The latest approvals mean that all open UTCs or studio schools, or those approved to open, now offer in total places for more than 50,000 young people, allowing them to train for careers that are key to the economy, such as engineering and science.

The new schools will work with more than 40 major national and local employers including Jaguar Land Rover, Dyson and Kew Botanical Gardens. In addition, 7 universities will work alongside the new UTCs to provide the next generation of school leavers with the technical knowledge and other skills that industry demands.

Chancellor George Osborne said:

„University technical colleges are a key part of the government’s long term economic plan because they help ensure young people have the right skills so they can maximise their potential.“

„The new colleges will provide the next generation of British workers with the skills they need to secure the high-tech jobs of the future.“

„This is an excellent example of how we are delivering a sustainable and resilient recovery by laying the foundations for a brighter economic future for the UK.“

Schools Minister Lord Nash said: „Equipping young people with the skills they need to secure great jobs is a key part of this government’s long-term economic plan. These schools will harness the talents of students, offering them hands-on learning alongside their GCSEs and A levels, to provide them with the technical knowledge and skills that employers demand.“

28 studio schools are already open. The 4 studio schools will create opportunities for more than 1,000 students. This will bring the total open and in development to 49, creating around 16,000 places in total. They will specialise in a range of vocational education subjects including entrepreneurship skills, computing, retail, catering and STEM. 

Source: gov.uk