Medway UTC opens in September – a few spaces remain for students entering Years 10 and 12.

With construction well underway, the new University Technical College for Medway is on track to open its doors to Year 10 and 12 students on September 7.

The new college is specifically for ages 14-19, who will learn the skills necessary for a career in design, engineering and construction, with hands on practical tuition alongside traditional academic studies.

As the parent of a child who wants to be an engineer and who will have to remain in education until he’s 18, it’s an exciting prospect to see such an alternative to the traditional sixth form become available. I think I might actually be more excited than him!

Visiting the site to see how the building is coming along was another opportunity for parents and students to get involved. More ‘Hands on Festival’ and ‘Meet the Principal’ events will be taking place soon, along with further opportunities to visit the developing site.

With a 9-5 school day and no homework, it promises an altogether more ‘real world’ experience for the students, as they learn the specialist and practical skills needed for their chosen career.

And although traditionally seen as ‘boys’ subjects, there’s now a genuine push to show girls that careers in the STEM based industries are now possible.

Celebrating International Women’s Day tomorrow, by visiting a specialist maths school, School Reform Minister, Nick Gibb said:

“International Women’s Day encourages us to celebrate what women across the world have achieved in the past, and also to ask what more we can do to remove the barriers to women’s progress in the future. It is our job to ensure more young women have the scientific education they need so we have the female scientists and mathematicians of the future to follow in the footsteps of pioneers such as Marie Curie and Rosalind Franklin.

STEM subjects open doors to wide range of exciting careers – and will be increasingly important by the time these young people start their working careers, with 7.1 million people in the UK expected to be employed in science-based roles by 2030.”

Dr Karon Buck, Medway UTC’s Principal, is excited by the unique possibilities available to her students. She says she’s “privileged to lead Medway UTC” and wants to ensure that individual and collective success is at the heart of the UTC’s decision making. “We’ll guide students to lay the foundations of an exciting educational experience which can lead on to outstanding achievements in engineering and construction.”

STEM skills are at the forefront of the UK’s success, producing 10% of the world’s top scientific research (although we account for only 1% of the world’s population), but employers are struggling to recruit STEM skilled staff. Medway UTC is taking on the challenge to fill the gap. To apply for a place, visit their website. 

The Your Life campaign has begun to encourage more young people to take STEM subjects – especially girls – and is being supported by the government and businesses, with the aim of  boosting participation in technology and engineering. Find out more about STEM here.