04.09.17
An innovative approach to shaping the student experience
Bill Templeton, head of apprentice development and University Technical College (UTC) lead for Network Rail, as well as a trustee and governor of the Sir Simon Milton Westminster University UTC, talks about the new college which specialises in science, technology, maths and engineering.
The Sir Simon Milton Westminster UTC is a brand new college near London’s Victoria station. It’s a completely different type of college within the state system offering both technical and academic education for 14-19-year-olds. The college is set up in memory of Sir Simon Milton, London’s visionary public service leader both at Westminster City Council and the GLA. The UTC is co-founded by the University of Westminster and the Sir Simon Milton Foundation and both organisations have a fundamental role in shaping its future development.
The college opens in September this year with Year 10 and Year 12 students who will gain specialist engineering technical qualifications, GCSEs and A-Levels. Competition for places in this first intake has been strong, with the school being heavily oversubscribed. The principal, Karen Barker, commented: “We are delighted by the quality of student applicants. They include young people with a real passion for science and technology who want to make a difference to the world they live in.”
This innovative college is unlike ordinary schools or sixth form colleges in that it specialises in science, technology, maths and engineering. Its stunning new premises have been designed to deliver technical education with classrooms kitted out with state-of-the-art equipment. Specialist facilities include two large ground floor workshops where students will have access to industry-standard equipment and materials. ICT classrooms and labs located on each of the other floors will exemplify modern engineering education, developing students’ simulation and modelling skills.
A significant element of learning is on actual engineering and transport projects provided by the UTC’s unique employer alliance of leading organisations, including Network Rail, Landsec, Alstom, Sir Robert McAlpine, TfL, BT Fleet and Colas Rail. Work-related student projects have been developed with staff from the employer alliance partner companies, with guidance from academic staff at the University of Westminster. This represents an opportunity for students to follow a technical, skills-based curriculum, learning through real projects and with the active involvement of industry professionals, which will improve their employment prospects.
The business environment will shape the student experience, with the school day starting at 08:30 each weekday through to 17:00, within a 40-week study year. Rather than wearing a uniform, students will wear business attire’.
Opportunities for UTC leavers are generally excellent: 97% go to university, into work or take on a higher-level apprenticeship. The range of employment and study opportunities for those leaving the Sir Simon Milton Westminster UTC will be extensive, with practical careers-oriented guidance supported by employer partners. The University of Westminster will provide degree-level opportunities for those wishing to go on to higher education, City of Westminster College will provide HNC/HND and Foundation Degree options for the further development of vocational skills, and progression opportunities will include apprenticeships with employer partner organisations.
Over 130,000 new jobs in London in the next 20 years will require engineering technicians and project managers with the aptitude to think independently, use newer technologies and work in multidisciplinary teams. In Network Rail, we estimate that our depots within a 40-mile radius of the Sir Simon Milton Westminster UTC will need more than 160 skilled maintenance technicians each year to deliver the next stages of our ambitious Railway Upgrade Plan.
These technicians will make a vital contribution to the development of the digital railway in the UK over the coming years, and offer fantastic career opportunities for young people in London and the south east.
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