What is a UTC?

A new kind of education.

University Technical Colleges (UTCs) are schools for 14-19 year olds that deliver technical education as well as core curriculum subjects, in partnership with local employers and universities.

UTCs are established by employers seeking to fill skills gaps in their local areas. They are publicly funded academies with an average age range of 14-19, a longer school day to cover the exciting and engaging Science, Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) related GCSEs as well as technical qualifications. UTCs teach one or more technical specialisms that meet the skills shortages in the region. These include: engineering; manufacturing; computer science; health sciences; digital technologies; and cybersecurity.

UTCs provide a high-quality education, focussing on closing the skills gap and providing a credible technical pathway for students to a valuable technical career. We believe it is essential for the UK economy that we should prove that UTC concept, fill the UTCs and create more over the coming years.

The ENL UTC provides an exciting, employer-shaped curriculum that combines technical, practical and academic learning.

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Key facts about the UTCs.

  • UTCs are government funded, so they charge no fees, and aren’t academically selective
  • A UTC curriculum includes one or two technical specialisms, alongside core academic GCSE and A Level subjects matched to these specialisms
  • UTCs have a special focus on science, technology, engineering and maths, with all learning designed to be applied in the workplace
  • Each UTC is backed by employers and a local university, who work with expert staff to develop a curriculum shaped around their industry’s needs
  • UTCs offer state-of-the-art facilities with the latest technology, so students can have a hands-on curriculum with industry-standard equipment
  • UTCs operate longer school days that mirror the world of work, typically starting at 8:30am and ending at 5:00pm, with limited homework
  • There are currently around 50 UTCs open in England
  • Each UTC offers around 600 places; they are sub-regional and their catchment area may cover multiple local authorities

ENL UTC student destinations.

The below stats provides insight into destinations for ENL UTC students. The data has been collected for all students leaving ENL UTC in the summer of 2023.

30

of ENL UTC Sixth Form leavers successfully gained a position at University.

36

of ENL UTC Sixth Form leavers secured an apprenticeship, 27% at advanced and 9% at higher.

45

of ENL UTC year 11 students continued their studies at ENL UTC Sixth Form.

16

of ENL UTC year 11 leavers successfully secured an apprenticeship, nearly 3 times the national average of 6%.