University technical college

A university technical college (UTC) is a type of secondary school in England that is sponsored by a university and has close ties to local business and industry.

University technical colleges specialise in subjects like engineering and construction, taught alongside business skills and the use of IT. Pupils study academic subjects as well as practical subjects leading to technical qualifications. The curriculum is designed by the university and employers, who also provide work experience for students.

The university and industry partners support the curriculum development of the UTC, can provide professional development opportunities for teachers, and guide suitably qualified students on to industrial apprenticeships or tertiary education. The UTC's governors include representatives from the sponsor university and partner employers. Pupils traditionally transfer to a UTC at the age of 14, part-way through their secondary education, though many UTCs now accept pupils at a younger age. The first UTCs were established in 2010, and there are 44 of them in 2023.

It was announced in August 2023 that two more UTCs would be established in Doncaster and Southampton.

Description
A university technical college is a non-selective free school funded directly by the Department for Education, free to attend, and outside the control of the local education authority.

University technical colleges specialise in subjects like engineering and construction, and teach these subjects along with employability and IT skills. Pupils study core academic subjects, as well as practical subjects which lead to technical qualifications. The curriculum is designed by the university and employers, who also provide work experience for students.

UTCs were introduced in 2010 by the coalition government under the free schools programme. UTCs are collectively distinctive in that they offer technically oriented courses of study, combining National Curriculum requirements with technical and vocational elements. UTCs must specialise in subjects that require technical and modern equipment, but they also all teach business skills and the use of information and communications technology (ICT). UTCs are also supposed to offer clear routes into higher education or further learning in work.

When operating, UTCs receive the same per capita funding as other schools in the local authority, calculated by the same formula, and £87 extra to cover UTC-specific administration.

The university technical college programme as a whole is sponsored by the Baker Dearing Educational Trust, which promotes the setting up of UTCs. The trust was co-founded by Kenneth Baker, a Conservative politician and former Secretary of State for Education and Ron Dearing. Each UTC pays an annual licence fee (£10,000 in 2019) to the trust. Baker Dearing's promotion of UTCs is supported by a range of organisations, including the Edge Foundation, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation and the Garfield Weston Foundation. Many large companies have pledged to co-sponsor UTCs including Arup, British Airways, Ford, Jaguar Land Rover and Sony.