On 12 December, students and staff at UTC Portsmouth assembled to welcome Tim Peake who joined them to officially open the college that offers mechanical and electrical engineering and advanced manufacturing alongside A levels and GCSEs.
Tim said:
UTCs impress me because they are not just training the next generation of STEM professionals and developing a much needed skills pipeline to the careers of the future, they are offering their students the opportunity to make the important connection between what they learn in the classroom and how it relates to the real world.
Students had the opportunity to showcase employer partner inspired projects to a small group of guests as they toured the college. Students, who worked on the moon base challenge set by Airbus were thrilled to be able to discuss their solution with Tim. They were set the task to work out what we would need to sustain a colony of 10 people on the moon and calculate the materials required and amount of air for the base.
Tim was full of praise for the technically minded students, when he said:
It’s great to see the enthusiasm students at UTC Portsmouth have for STEM learning. Young men and women studying here are being taught to aim high and given a deep understanding of the sheer scope of opportunities that are available to them in the future.
CEO of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, Charles Parker said:
Congratulations to Ciaran O’Dowda and the team at UTC Portsmouth on a fantastic opening event. UTC Portsmouth is an impressive and dynamic school that is offering young people in Portsmouth and the wider region the choice of a high quality technical pathway from the age of 14.
Students who choose to study here will combine their academic education with the opportunity to learn the essential practical and technical skills they will need to pursue in careers in engineering and manufacturing. There is an urgent need for these skills at all levels in these sectors.
For more information about UTC Portsmouth, please visit: www.utcportsmouth.org
