Following a government reshuffle that saw the appointment of new education ministers and Baroness Jacqui Smith’s reappointment as Minister of Skills across the Department for Education and Department for Work and Pensions, the Baker Dearing Educational Trust has issued the following comment from Chief Executive Kate Ambrosi.

“We look forward to working with Georgia Gould MP, Josh MacAlister MP, and Olivia Bailey MP on improving young people’s access to high-quality, employer-led technical education that will help them progress into work.

“We are also pleased that we will continue to work with Baroness Smith. She is demonstrably a strong and effective supporter of technical education and UTCs.

“Good working relationships between the education sector and ministers will be essential for tackling the youth unemployment and skilled recruitment crises in this country.

“Based on our experience of supporting successful University Technical Colleges across England, Baker Dearing is working with government, schools, and local authorities to establish UTC Sleeves. These would replicate the UTC model of high-quality, employer-led technical education within existing schools, at a fraction of the cost of a whole new school.

“One UTC Sleeve is up and running in Bristol and we are in advanced talks with the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and Barrow Transformation Fund for more.

“We are also calling on the government to back two new, previously approved UTCs in Southampton and Doncaster, to be run by successful long-established UTCs in areas of high parental and employer demand.

“UTC Sleeves, the 44-strong UTC network, and the two new UTCs being developed in Southampton and Doncaster to meet significant local demand, are the best means for progressing young people into apprenticeships and careers.”

More information about the UTC Sleeve can be found here.

Pictured top: Baroness Smith on a visit to Aston University Engineering Academy with Baker Dearing CEO Kate Ambrosi.