Technical education opportunities for young people strengthened by Michael Bishop Foundation donation

Technical education opportunities for young people have been strengthened by a significant donation from The Michael Bishop Foundation to the Baker Dearing Educational Trust.

The funds will be used to expand initiatives including the Baker Award for Technical Education, which celebrates young people who develop their employability, and UTC Sleeves, through which we develop high-quality technical pathways in mainstream schools.

Baker Dearing will also create a new student bursary, named in honour of the foundation’s leader Sir Michael Bishop (known as Lord Glendonbrook).

This bursary will provide opportunities in the aviation industry for students at London Design and Engineering UTC in Newham.

Over £35 million has been donated to more than 100 charities by The Michael Bishop Foundation since 1987. The foundation is a longstanding and generous supporter of Baker Dearing and the 44-strong network of UTC secondary schools across England.

Its funding has been instrumental in helping Baker Dearing prepare more young people to progress into employment in a fast-changing world of work.

Each UTC delivers a technical education curriculum designed to help young people secure roles in their local industrial sectors. Students learn on industry-standard equipment with expert specialist teachers and regularly engage with employers through projects, mentoring, and work experience placements.

Lord Glendonbrook and Lord Baker with LDE staff and students.

This latest news comes after Lord Glendonbrook and foundation trustee Martin Ritchie visited London Design and Engineering UTC in September 2025. The visitors, accompanied by Baker Dearing Life President Lord Baker, had the opportunity to tour the amazing UTC and its top-of-the-range facilities.

They also met with year 13 learners studying for a T Level in design and development for engineering and manufacturing. The students discussed with the visitors their excitement at reaching the national finals of WorldSkills UK, in the automation category.

Students will experience flying through new bursary

The funding will be utilised in the following ways:

  • Strengthening impact: The funding will help deliver technical education opportunities which help improve the employability and skills of young people. This includes the Baker Award for Technical Education, which recognises and celebrates secondary school students who take part in high-quality work experience and technical education. It also includes the UTC Sleeve initiative which develops specialist pathways, such as engineering, within mainstream secondary schools. Both provide direct opportunities for more young people to take part in relevant, employer-led technical education.
  • Sir Michael Bishop Aviation Bursary: London Design and Engineering UTC has a successful aviation pathway. The objectives of the bursary are to ensure that all of the UTC’s learners benefit from opportunities beyond the classroom, and to inspire young people into all fields of aviation and related engineering. Fifty 16-year-old students each year will receive opportunities in the aviation community. They will be offered an experience of flying (dependent on their attendance and attainment), and other aviation-related enrichment opportunities to inspire their curiosity in technology, engineering, and the wider world.

Chief Executive of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust Kate Ambrosi commented:

“We are thrilled to receive this funding from The Michael Bishop Foundation, which will directly support new opportunities for young people, including a high proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“Despite UTCs taking in higher-than-average numbers of free school meal and SEND students, the vast majority of our leavers progress to education or employment destinations and many demonstrate upward social mobility.

“Employers in key growth-driving sectors also benefit from the UTC programme, through a steady pipeline of young talent into key roles within their organisations.

“We would like to thank Lord Glendonbrook and the trustees for their longstanding and enthusiastic support of Baker Dearing and the UTC movement.”

Chairman of Trustees for The Michael Bishop Foundation, Lord Glendonbrook, commented:

“Supporting young people to understand the broad range of pathways before them and to envision themselves in roles within growing and innovating industries is a key mission of the foundation.

“This funding will mean young people from an array of backgrounds can access high-quality technical education within the successful and established UTC network.

“We look forward to seeing the results of this work.”

Technical education opportunities for young people strengthened by Michael Bishop Foundation donation

Technical education opportunities for young people have been strengthened by a significant donation from The Michael Bishop Foundation to the Baker Dearing Educational Trust.

The funds will be used to expand initiatives including the Baker Award for Technical Education, which celebrates young people who develop their employability, and UTC Sleeves, through which we develop high-quality technical pathways in mainstream schools.

Baker Dearing will also create a new student bursary, named in honour of the foundation’s leader Sir Michael Bishop (known as Lord Glendonbrook).

This bursary will provide opportunities in the aviation industry for students at London Design and Engineering UTC in Newham.

Over £35 million has been donated to more than 100 charities by The Michael Bishop Foundation since 1987. The foundation is a longstanding and generous supporter of Baker Dearing and the 44-strong network of UTC secondary schools across England.

Its funding has been instrumental in helping Baker Dearing prepare more young people to progress into employment in a fast-changing world of work.

Each UTC delivers a technical education curriculum designed to help young people secure roles in their local industrial sectors. Students learn on industry-standard equipment with expert specialist teachers and regularly engage with employers through projects, mentoring, and work experience placements.

Lord Glendonbrook and Lord Baker with LDE staff and students.

This latest news comes after Lord Glendonbrook and foundation trustee Martin Ritchie visited London Design and Engineering UTC in September 2025. The visitors, accompanied by Baker Dearing Life President Lord Baker, had the opportunity to tour the amazing UTC and its top-of-the-range facilities.

They also met with year 13 learners studying for a T Level in design and development for engineering and manufacturing. The students discussed with the visitors their excitement at reaching the national finals of WorldSkills UK, in the automation category.

Students will experience flying through new bursary

The funding will be utilised in the following ways:

  • Strengthening impact: The funding will help deliver technical education opportunities which help improve the employability and skills of young people. This includes the Baker Award for Technical Education, which recognises and celebrates secondary school students who take part in high-quality work experience and technical education. It also includes the UTC Sleeve initiative which develops specialist pathways, such as engineering, within mainstream secondary schools. Both provide direct opportunities for more young people to take part in relevant, employer-led technical education.
  • Sir Michael Bishop Aviation Bursary: London Design and Engineering UTC has a successful aviation pathway. The objectives of the bursary are to ensure that all of the UTC’s learners benefit from opportunities beyond the classroom, and to inspire young people into all fields of aviation and related engineering. Fifty 16-year-old students each year will receive opportunities in the aviation community. They will be offered an experience of flying (dependent on their attendance and attainment), and other aviation-related enrichment opportunities to inspire their curiosity in technology, engineering, and the wider world.

Chief Executive of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust Kate Ambrosi commented:

“We are thrilled to receive this funding from The Michael Bishop Foundation, which will directly support new opportunities for young people, including a high proportion of students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

“Despite UTCs taking in higher-than-average numbers of free school meal and SEND students, the vast majority of our leavers progress to education or employment destinations and many demonstrate upward social mobility.

“Employers in key growth-driving sectors also benefit from the UTC programme, through a steady pipeline of young talent into key roles within their organisations.

“We would like to thank Lord Glendonbrook and the trustees for their longstanding and enthusiastic support of Baker Dearing and the UTC movement.”

Chairman of Trustees for The Michael Bishop Foundation, Lord Glendonbrook, commented:

“Supporting young people to understand the broad range of pathways before them and to envision themselves in roles within growing and innovating industries is a key mission of the foundation.

“This funding will mean young people from an array of backgrounds can access high-quality technical education within the successful and established UTC network.

“We look forward to seeing the results of this work.”

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