Established in 2009 by Lord Baker and Lord Dearing to promote and develop UTCs, Baker Dearing Educational Trust created and owns the UTC brand and trademarks and licences their use to all UTCs. Over the past ten years, Baker Dearing has been the driving force behind new UTC openings and has provided ‘top-down’ direction to the programme, supporting new and existing UTCs to ensure the programme’s continued improvement and to embed UTCs firmly within the English education system.
The charity sits at the centre of the UTC network and is uniquely placed to provide co-ordinated support to, and advocacy for, UTCs as well as communications within the network and to a broader audience. It is a very small charity, with fewer than 15 part time staff, under the direction of CEO, Simon Connell. Lord Baker remains a very active executive Chairman.
“I created my charity just over ten years ago to support the establishment of University Technical Colleges (“UTCs”), and in doing so, provide young people with a relevant education in a fast-changing world. Ron Dearing and I developed the concept of UTCs because the schools’ system does not address the needs of employers for work-ready 18-year-olds with a technical education suited to the needs of the modern economy. The UTC technical education will be needed even more when we’ve defeated the Coronavirus”
Lord Baker – Co-founder of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust
