Six University Technical Colleges across England have been awarded over £7m in T Level capital funding by the Department for Education.
The department has announced the successful bids for the latest wave of the T Level Capital Fund, with individual UTCs receiving up to £4m.
The money will be used to improve students’ experience of studying the flagship technical qualifications and maximise their outcomes by, for example, expanding teaching spaces and building new employer partnerships in the manufacturing and creative sectors.
Nine UTCs, secondary schools which deliver a science and technology curriculum built in concert with employers, are now delivering T Levels, with a further ten set to begin delivering them from September 2024.
Baker Dearing Educational Trust chief executive Simon Connell commented: “We are thrilled that the UTC programme has been so successful in this round of T Level capital funding.
“While not all those UTCs who bid were awarded funding, this is a very positive result that will immensely benefit students and staff.
“With employer partnerships built into their foundations, and the vast majority of their leavers progressing onto apprenticeships or STEM courses at university, UTCs are well-placed to make a success of T Levels, and many are doing so already.”
Commenting on their successful bid to the T Level Capital Fund, Global Academy principal Jonty Archibald said: “We are delighted that our bid has been successful and we intend to use this funding to support our industry-focused education by enhancing our digital T Level learning environment for September 2024 and complementing our fantastic media production studios and classrooms.”
London Design and Engineering UTC principal Geoffrey Fowler commented on his school’s successful bid:
“We are excited to receive this funding, which will be used to increase our number of teaching spaces, helping ensure we can deliver the highest-quality T Level provision.”
UTC Warrington principal Chris Hatherall commented on the T Level Capital Fund results, saying:
“It’s fantastic that our bid has been successful as it will allow us to direct funding towards enhancing our engineering and manufacturing T Level offer.
“This will include the development of a dedicated metrology lab, a new engineering fitting workshop, an acoustic meeting pod for the machining and fabrication workshop, a new electrical, control and instrumentation lab, a new CAD studio and bespoke display spaces for additive manufacturing and engineering artefacts.
“We would like to express gratitude to our employer partners for helping us prepare to deliver T Levels and helping put together this successful bid.”
Minister for Skills, Apprenticeship and Higher Education Robert Halfon MP said:
“T Levels provide a unique opportunity for students to gain both classroom knowledge and on-the-job experience, and are part of our driving mission to extend the ladder of opportunity so that more young people gain the skills they need to progress into great jobs.
“It’s great to see that colleges recognise that T levels are on track to become the world class, highly respected, high-profile qualifications that all of us want to see. The first T Level cohort saw over 400 students secure a place at university last summer, and now, with an expanded range of 16 T Level courses, we are confident these robust courses are paving the way for even greater success.
“That’s why we are investing over £100 million in the creation of cutting-edge facilities and more than 100 exciting projects across the country. From robotics suites that support digital T Levels to simulated health wards where students can get a real sense of what it means to work in Healthcare Science.
“By supporting the sector in delivering the rollout of these top-quality vocational courses, we are not only ensuring employers across the country can continue to access the skilled workforce they need to thrive, but also boosting our economy’s growth.”
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