Member Article

Applications now open for North East UTC

Applications are now open for the region’s upcoming University Technical College (UTC) opening in September next year.

Located in Newcastle’s £200m Stephenson Quarter development, North East Futures UTC is aimed at 14-19-year-olds and specifically focuses on health and life sciences and cutting-edge digital technologies.

Set to be unlike any other school in the region, UTCs are government funded academies for 14-19 years olds set up to help fill the technical skills gap in science, technology, engineering, and maths.

North East Futures UTC, which will be the 50th UTC to open in the UK since 2010, will hold up to 600 students and places are expected to go quickly.

Bob Paton, Chair of the UTC Board, explains: “It has been said time and time again that there is a massive and growing need for skilled applicants for posts within the tech and science fields in the North East.

“In spite of this, a lot of our young people are still not getting the opportunities they deserve to gain high level technical skills. In particular, the system is short-changing them when it comes to high quality careers insights and employment attributes.

“This is why we have established North East Futures UTC. UTCs are not like typical schools. They run more like a business, with working hours set from 9.00 am until 5pm, preparing students for working life but also freeing up evening and weekends, as there is space within the longer school day for students to complete the bulk of their assignments.

“By collaborating on projects with organisations like Ubisoft, Accenture, Hewlett-Packard, and the NHS, students will benefit from real working experiences throughout their time with us and leave the school with excellent qualifications, a uniquely powerful CV and a set of skills fit for the 21st century workplace.

“Students can expect projects in games-development, AI, VR, and cyber security or in diagnosing and developing treatments for life threatening diseases - pushing the boundaries of medical science.

“We truly believe that North East Futures UTC will play an essential role in developing the region and securing the future of the brilliant young people who reside here.”