A consortium of manufacturing professionals, academics and industry bodies is spearheading a bid by the University of Leeds to launch a manufacturing focused University Technical College (UTC) in the city.
Specialising in advanced manufacturing and engineering, the UTC would combine traditional academic teaching to students aged 14 – 18 years old. Students would be exposed to to specialised technical learning with the aim to prepare them for careers in the manufacturing and engineering industries.
A team comprising key employers from companies such as Kodak, Siemens, Unilever and Agfa is leading the proposal. Also supporting the proposal is the Chamber of Commerce and EEF, as well as education specialists from the School of Engineering at the University of Leeds and Leeds City College.
Although there are 50 approved UTCs in the UK, there are few in Yorkshire.
The steering team has been working on its proposal for a Leeds UTC for the last six months with an ongoing programme of employer clinics, head teacher workshops and student surveys taking place across the city region.