Lincoln MP Karl McCartney asked Gillian Keegan, Minister for Skills, about the role of UTCs in Parliament last week. She stressed the function of UTCs in supporting skills development and local economies in her response.
Karl McCartney (MP for Lincoln)
“To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of how the specialisms taught at University Technical Colleges can support the (a) skills needs of employers and (b) UK’s economic recovery after the Covid-19 outbreak.”
Gillian Keegan (Minister for Skills)
“University Technical Colleges (UTCs) are well positioned to support the skills needs of local economies, placing employers at the heart of designing their specialist curriculum, mostly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects such as engineering and digital technologies. There are over 500 employers involved in the 48 open UTCs, including leading names such as JCB, Network Rail, Toyota, Siemens and the Royal Navy, helping to create 30,000 opportunities for young people to train as the engineers, technicians and scientists of the future.
“UTCs will continue to play a role in building the skills capabilities the country needs now and in the future following COVID-19. An immediate focus for UTCs will be to help this year’s leavers use and build on their technical skills through becoming apprentices, as well as other paths to employment including progression to universities, or going straight into technical jobs.”
Photo by Ian Kelsall on Unsplash
