Next round of UTC bidding begins
The Department of Education is inviting applications from groups to open University Technical Colleges in September 2014 and beyond, following successful bids in earlier rounds from consortia including BBC in Media City UK, Cammell Laird in Birkenhead and Barnfield Construction in Burnley.
UTCs are state schools for 14 to 19-year-olds formed by groups of colleges, universities and employers to help meet the skills gap in key industry sectors. Each UTC receives an initial £10m to build the school. There have been 34 approved so far, including seven in the North West, with several more believed to be close to approval.
The deadline to submit an application is 5pm on 16 November 2012. Groups will have to provide detailed and robust evidence of demand from employers, parents and prospective students; the educational vision for the UTC and how this will meet local and national skills needs; how the technical curriculum of the UTC will be delivered alongside core qualifications; and the capacity and capability of the proposing group to deliver a UTC.