Over 200 students from 10 UTCs across the country achieved the gold level Duke of York Award for Technical Education. The awards were presented by HRH The Duke of York at St James’s Palace on 6 November 2017.

The Award recognises the success of UTC students who have pursued highly technical subjects including engineering, health sciences, advanced manufacturing and computer science. It reflects the unique specialist education young people receive at UTCs, which offers academic, technical and practical learning.

As well as those receiving Gold awards at St James’s Palace, more than 400 also received Silver and Bronze awards.

Two former UTC students who won awards at the first ever ceremony were invited back to the Palace to share their career progress with the Duke. Georgia Turner (20) and Adam Varley (24) were both students at the JCB Academy. Georgia took a gap year after leaving JCB and is now studying for a BA Eng (Hons) in product design engineering at Loughborough University. Adam went on to do Higher Apprenticeship at JCB where he studied for an NVQ Level 4 in manufacturing engineering and was then sponsored to study for a BEng (Hons) in mechanical engineering at Sheffield Hallam. He finished his apprenticeship in 2016 and graduated this year. Adam now works for JCB full time as a mechanical design engineer.

Nomination for the Duke of York Award for Technical Education is based on successfully completing a process of work experience placements, academic achievement and development of workplace skills together with a rigorous assessment interview.

HRH The Duke of York said:

I congratulate every student who has received a Duke of York Award for Technical Education. UTCs are changing the face of modern education in this country. We need people who will be able to apply a foundation of specialist technical skill and apply it to jobs, many of which are yet to be created. The Awards recognise the achievements of all the students and I wish all those here today good luck as they take the next step in their careers and start to help shape and change the United Kingdom.

Lord Baker, Chair, Baker Dearing Educational Trust, the charity that promotes and sustains UTCs said:

The Duke of York Award for Technical Education provides a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the individual achievements of UTC students and the value of technical education. These young people represent some of best technical talent in the country. There is no doubt the skills that they have developed are in great demand by industry.

As well as the main ceremony, eight students were also awarded Outstanding Achievement Awards: the Women Into Engineering team from UTC Oxfordshire (Lucy Doran, Francesca Topp, Tiffany Cox and Yassmine Girgis), Yunus and Ozan Bozkurt from the JCB Academy UTC, Jamoi Sill from Reading UTC and Toby Hall from UTC Oxfordshire.

HRH The Duke of York is Patron of Baker Dearing Educational Trust and is a champion for technical education pathways.