UTC Leeds has officially opened its doors as it welcomed civic and business leaders from Leeds and Lord Baker, Chairman, Baker Dearing Educational Trust, the charity which promotes and sustains UTCs, for a tour of the new state of the art school on Friday 21 October.
The VIPs, including Leeds City Council Leader, Councillor Judith Blake, heard from students about their experiences of the UTC since joining in early September. The UTC specialises in advanced manufacturing and engineering skills and is supported by more than 60 businesses from the region including Siemens, Unilever and Agfa. The University of Leeds is also a partner and helped develop the curriculum so students are prepared for entry to employment or university.
Speaking at the opening, Mark Kennedy, principal of UTC Leeds said:
We are immensely proud of the facilities here at UTC Leeds. The school offers a first class educational experience and I’m looking forward to showing guests around this unique building. We’ve managed to combine state-of-the-art educational environment with the city’s proud manufacturing heritage and it really is a credit to all involved.
Councillor Judith Blake said:
The opening of UTC Leeds is a huge step forward for the city and the manufacturing sector in the Leeds city region. It opens up great career opportunities for young people and will help to bridge the skills gap, which is a major challenge for the sector.
Lord Baker explained how the UTC will give young people from the area a greater choice of study:
UTC Leeds is an impressive and dynamic school that is offering young people in Leeds 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 a career in engineering and manufacturing. There is an urgent need for these skills at all levels in these sectors.
Our challenge now is to ensure that young people and their parents have access to the information and advice they need to take advantage of this exciting and important technical provision.
Applications are now open for Year 10 and Year 12 students starting in September 2017. A prospectus is available to download from the UTC Leeds website and a number open evenings are planned before the end of the year. For more information visit: https://www.utcleeds.com/local-events.asp
