UTC Affiliation Newsletter
ISSUE 3 | WINTER 2015
DERBY MANUFACTURING UTC
FOST WINTER MESSAGE I am pleased to introduce the winter Royal Navy UTC affi liation newsletter; my fi rst since taking up the position of Flag Offi cer Sea Training and the third since we engaged in this rewarding programme in June 2014. Having visited, and opened, several UTCs around the country, I have been struck by the incredible enthusiasm from everyone at the colleges: students and teachers alike. The Royal Navy/UTC charter of engagement underpins our commitment to the enduring success of the affi liation programme and to the wider UTC community across the nation. It is extremely important to the Royal Navy to have this strong relationship as over half of the roles in our navy are based around engineering. UTCs not only provide an exciting environment, but an incredible opportunity for students to learn all aspects of science and engineering in world class facilities.
I believe in the UTC programme and am privileged to highlight the Royal Navy’s support to such talented and driven young individuals - science and engineering is our future and it is evident these students are key to that future.
On behalf of the Royal Navy, may I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a rewarding New Year.
Rear Admiral John Clink OBE, Flag Offi cer Sea Training and Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Training)
COMBINED CADET FORCE (CCF) Energy Coast UTC booked a place managed to get out on the water in the new S700 sailing yachts in the history books offi cially and also did some land based activities which included mountain opening the fi rst ever RN led CCF biking in Queen Elizabeth Country Park. The camp was designed unit at a ceremony attended by the to give cadets a small taste of the type of activities that RN Flag Offi cer Sea Training (FOST), cadets get up to and it proved really successful. There are now Rear Admiral John Clink OBE, who plans to have another camp for the UTC CCF RN cadets during oversees the running of Royal Navy August 16 which will offer a broader range of activities. cadets; the day was a huge success and you can read more in the The future is very bright for Cadet Expansion among the RN article by Georgia Taylor later in this Newsletter; it was a truly affi liated University Technical Colleges. The next University memorable occasion for all. Technical College to have a RN Section will be South Wilts UTC Bristol and Plymouth UTC Combined Cadet Force Royal Navy and in 2016 CCF RN HQ will be engaging with other RN affi liated Section will be opening in early 2016, after a great deal of colleges who do not yet have a CCF RN Section. Any UTC that is work over the last 12 months. The Staff involved in the CCF interested in starting a Royal Navy or Royal Marine CCF unit need have undergone training to prepare them for the challenges to submit an ‘Expression of Interest’ to the CEP Project Manager of running a CCF Section. Senior Cadets have been appointed at CCF RN HQ (Mrs Liz Worman [email protected]). In from these schools and they will be undergoing specifi c conjunction with developing RN sections in University Technical Leadership training to provide support to the Section. Cadets Colleges the government have recently provided further funding from UTC Plymouth have recently attended a 5 day camp to expand the RN/RM ‘Cadet Experience’ into areas around onboard HMS BRISTOL where they took part in a range of the country where a military connection would help develop activities. The main activities included a ‘try dive’ where cadets individuals. It is anticipated that a further 25 schools will have a were able to sample what life is like under the water. They also CCF Royal Navy or Royal Marine Section by 2020. 2016 A YEAR OF OPPORTUNITIES CAPT ANDY CREE; DACOS(E) & UTC LEAD Since our Summer Newsletter, the Royal Navy’s activity with its affi liated colleges; BTEA, Derby, Energy Coast, Plymouth and South Wiltshire has continued at high pace. This exciting period has seen land mark occasions for our affi liates with Derby and S Wilts opening their doors for business whilst BTEA and Plymouth reached the milestone of completing the fi rst round of examinations. In addition I’d like to announce Scarborough UTC as our most recent affi liate, taking our national engagement to six colleges. Regional affi liation is also being developed with South Devon UTC and scoping studies continue to identify synergies between the wider UTC community and the RN. Other initiatives soon to be publicised are the introduction of an RN UTC bursary scheme and accelerated training and promotion routes which will fully recognise and reward the unique skill-sets a UTC graduate offers future employers – please watch this space very closely if you are a student considering a career in the Royal Navy with the fi rst entry planned for September 2016. At the very heart of RN UTC collaboration is full implementation of our strategy which will see the RN develop projects to support UTC curricula, RN STEM ambassador engagement, student mentoring, increased Naval Base visits and use of RN facilities to help put vocational qualifi cations into employment context. The development of contextualised projects for our affi liates underpinned by leadership training and enrichment will be our main drive moving into the New Year. KeyKe enrichment events planned for 2016 include hosting the highly successfulsu visit weeks to Portsmouth, the annual RN UTC Young EngineersEn Challenge held at HMS Sultan and for the fi rst time UTC participationp at the Junior Leaders (JL) Field Gun Competition held at HMSH Collingwood. All these opportunities incorporate elements of naval ethose and are designed to build camaraderie and team spirit amongst thet students in attendance. An opportunity available to all UTCs is leadership training conducted by our Royal Marine Visibility Teams and STEM activities run by our ambassador network. These visiting teams are available to run on site practical leadership tasks and engineering challenges designed to develop student problem solving and team work, please contact Lt Cdr Matt Clarke RN on 02392 724569 to check availability in your region.
The RN remains 100% committed to the enduring success of the UTC concept and our vision is to support you in developing the technical knowledge of students whilst imparting the command, leadership and management qualities required of our nation’s future leaders. As 2015 draws to a close we look forward to an extremely busy 2016 working to support UTCs nationally. Now follows an article from each of our affi liated UTCs giving a fl avour of life and the diverse activity being conducted by students on their journey towards a bright and exciting future as young engineers. Teenagers Tristan Russell and Domenico Greco are on their way to fulfi lling their personal and career aspirations three years after joining Bristol Technology and Engineering Academy (BTEA). The 16-year-olds are thriving at BTEA, which caters for pupils aged 14 to 19 and has a strong focus on engineering, science and computer science. The academy is sponsored by the University of the West of England and GKN Aerospace and also receives support from Airbus, Rolls-Royce and the Royal Navy. After securing a run of A*s and As in his GCSEs, Tristan hopes to go on to read natural sciences at the University of Cambridge. “Most of the lessons in my previous school were theory-based but when I visited BTE Academy I soon realised that everything here is much more hands-on. I’m a strong believer in the need to learn practical skills as well as theory,” says Tristan. “But I’m being given so many personal opportunities here on top of the academic side. I’ve applied to be a leading hand cadet in the Combined Cadet Force which is being launched here in the New Year and am attending a leadership camp where I’ll get the chance to do activities like sailing and white water rafting. “I’m also doing the Royal Navy Challenge, which has involved building a boat fi tted with a device that can pick up different objects off the sea bed, or from an iceberg. We have to write a report on our project, and then it goes to the research stage followed by national testing and demonstration. “Everyone here at BTE Academy is like-minded and it’s a great place to prepare for a career in engineering or science.” Meanwhile Domenico hopes to go on to secure an apprenticeship with local employer Airbus. He says: “I’ve already done a really enjoyable fi ve days’ work experience with Airbus last summer, working as part of the future projects team, designing new aircraft cockpits. “There’s no doubt that coming to BTE Academy has also helped me academically. At my previous school I was predicted mainly Cs and Ds in my GCSEs but having come here, I ended up with results made up of Bs and Cs. “I’ve also had the chance to develop personally. I went on the World Challenge trip to Swaziland this summer and am hoping to go to Sri Lanka next year.” Rhian Priest, principal at BTEA, said: “Tristan and Domenico are both great examples of what can be achieved through a positive attitude, allied to hard work and application. They are a credit to the academy and I’m sure they will go on to thrive in the years ahead.” DERBY MANUFACTURING UTC
Hi! My name is Elsie, I am sixteen years old and I am an routes which are available after A-levels. Having spoken to the aspiring engineer of the future. You may be wondering truly inspirational Captain Gulley of the Royal Navy, as well as why engineering is so important or how it affects our lives. numerous other infl uential individuals, my desire to infl uence and The answer is, how doesn’t it affect our lives and is there inspire others only gets stronger. I know that the UTC will do their actually any industry where engineering is not essential in up most to ensure that my fellow students and I will leave, ready the development within it. to conquer ‘The Big Wide World’.
Having the chance to work on state of the art machines including Lathes and Millers gives me practical experience which I could potentially use in a working environment. There is a huge emphasis on preparation for the work place, therefore, we are treated like we would be if we were in industry. This way, we have mutual staff/student respect which creates mature, independent learners.
Day to day I am surrounded by people who want to excel and whether individuals dream to become medical engineers to further prosthetic limbs or medical scanners, or (like me) want to be involved with the defence and protection of our country through the Royal Navy, I strongly believe that the UTC are there for them every step of the way. Approachable staff are available if assistance is needed in understanding a particular topic or just for a chat about who will go through on the next episode of The X-Factor.
As a new starter at the UTC in September, I have found it easy to settle in. The atmosphere around college enhances my learning as I have made strong friendships already with people who I can learn with as well as learn from. I have already had tours of Bombardier, Toyota and Lubrizol sites which have given me an insight into these engineering companies and their employee’s roles. I was amazed at the robotics and technologies which can be found on these sites. I believe that the future is determined by what happens today. That is why it is important to sieze every opportunity which it thrown at you with open arms, both within I am now in the fi rst year of sixth form at Derby Manufacturing the UTC and later on in life, as the best can only be achieved with UTC, studying maths, physics, biology and engineering. My hard work, dedication, determination and passion. day usually lasts from 8:30 am up until 5pm, which may seem lengthy however with exciting, new challenges to face each day, And as for girls in engineering…BRING IT ON! boredom never seems to strike. I cannot say that all my lessons are easy but I thrive off the saying that ‘Hard work conquers everything’. On Wednesdays I partake in an enrichment engineering session, where, in groups, we take part in projects like F1 racing and aerospace while building up Computer Aided Design skills using advanced software. Alternative enrichment activities are available including astronomy, journalism and young enterprise. My opportunities within the UTC are infi nite, sponsors and partners which are paired with the college mean that close links can be made with successful engineering employers. This not only benefi ts the college but also inspires and educates me, as a student, on the GEORGIA TAYLOR - YEAR 10 I am currently studying at to have a ride in a Merlin helicopter to give them an insight of the the UTC, when I fi rst started in-fl ight experience, all of the students were over the moon with in September it was very the experience and claimed it to be “an awesome, cool and once in hard to get used to the long a life time opportunity” many of the other cadets go on to say the days, I used to fi nish at 3pm experience has helped them make up their minds about going into and now I fi nish at 5:15pm, the Royal Navy when they‘re older– and yes all of them want too. I am really enjoying it here at the UTC as it has opened Families of the cadets also came to the parade to support their a lot of doors for me and children and to celebrate with them, I spoke to a few parents and gave me many opportunities they told me how proud they were of their children and that they’re to grow as a person in this glad their child came to the UTC for such great opportunities. I short space of time, it excites me to see what else is to come, thoroughly enjoyed this event and supporting my fellow students this year I will be doing two weeks of work placements, one into taking their fi rst step into the CCF, It was great to see the whole week at one company, the second week at a different just school come together as a whole to support and celebrate with each to help us see what it’s like in the workplace and to help us other. I have really enjoyed writing about this experience and i would decide what we want to do in the future. like to thank the UTC and the Royal Navy for this experience.
At the UTC I am studying Geography, French, Maths, Science, English and General Engineering, I am really enjoying all of my lessons but I do miss art lessons from my old school but it doesn’t really bother me as now I’m focusing on getting the grades I need to be successful in the future and I believe UTC is the best place to help me achieve my goals. One of the opportunities I was given was to be part of a journalism team, writing a selection of articles for different companies including the school
On a typical day i wake up at 6:30, catch my bus at 7:55 and then have 7 lessons a day at the college, we have three breaks in between all of the lessons, we have two lessons of enrichment which we can do things we enjoy, I’m currently doing two activities in enrichment which include the Duke of Edinburgh award and a fi lm club to build upon my general knowledge and to fi nd out about new things. On the 15th October the UTC held their very fi rst CCF (Combined Cadet Force) parade, this might seem insignifi cant but the UTC is the fi rst school to have their own outside of the public CCF unit opened. The Royal Navy gave all of the cadets a great experience of which all were very pleased with it. They all wish to continue with the CCF and have a job in the Royal Navy when they are older.
Rear Admiral Clink granted permission to offi cially open the force as well as inspecting the ranks, speaking to all of the cadets, and promoting fi ve cadets to leading hands by presenting them with their Brassards. The Cadets were offered an amazing opportunity LIFE AT PLYMOUTH UTC Hello! My name is Lauren Hill Brook and I am currently a Year 12 student at UTC Plymouth. This year I moved back to the UK from Spain, after having lived there for over 10 years. Moving country can be very unsettling ergo I am very grateful for how welcoming UTC has been, it has allowed and assisted me to integrate myself completely, to immerse myself totally in school life.
I came here feeling, in a way, a sort of aberration and in no time I felt no different from anyone else. The school has brilliant resources and facilities such as lathes, drills and welding tools, 3D printers etc. It also provides engaging extracurricular activities, something that results appealing to everyone, no matter what your interests are. The teachers and staff are ever so diligent, completely dedicated to their pupils and work, appeasing everyone’s needs, meticulous in their every act. I have been to an abundant amount of schools and I had never been to one such as UTC Plymouth.
Being completely affi liated with the language, I am helping out in a few of the Spanish classes, assisting fellow students in learning how to speak and pronounce the lingo. It is lots of fun! It is great to see people open their minds to other cultures and languages, eager to learn, so interested in how others think and live their lives. I quite enjoy the role of teaching assistant, although teaching is not in my career plan it will always be an interest and perhaps an option.
I am studying English Literature, Spanish and Maths A-Levels and wish to someday become a criminal barrister ergo my career choice has all but nothing to with engineering but even so the school helps me with anything I need, be that bursaries or advice, anything and everything that they can. The enrichments that I am doing are History, Art and School Magazine, I love creative writing and art. They are a great experience and very enjoyable, we even go on trips. For instance, the other week, the art enrichment group went to Plymouth Museum and observed the art display.
UTC Plymouth is defi nitely the place to be, there is always something to look forward to such as the upcoming work experience week at Babcock, one of the schools sponsors. My experience here has been most agreeable so far, and hopefully will continue being so. LIFE AT SOUTH WILTSHIRE UTC By Nathan Brindley Chair of South Wiltshire UTC Student Board
As student of a new UTC, life here has been very fun and practical since day one. Students’ opinions are very widely accepted and since the fi rst meeting of our student board initiative lots of work has been done to ensure students’ happiness at the UTC. The student board is a very good stance taken by Gordon, our Principal, to take on student opinions and help to shape our UTC around what the students would like to see. Being Chair of the student board I do get to listen to many of the valid points raised by students on what needs to be on the agenda for each meeting and their opinions on topics that are raised during each meeting.
Our enrichment on a Tuesday afternoon is a really good time to develop new skills, meet new people and learn things from subjects we might not necessarily be studying. My enrichment is app and games design and, since the fi rst session, I am already being taught how to code, something which I have done very little of having not done computer science at GCSE or A-level. Since starting at the UTC I have thoroughly enjoyed looking at the enrichments on offer and then deciding to start the app and games design. The UTC encourages us to develop new and existing skills further to enhance our employability and develop us further as individuals.
Life on the whole at the UTC is very fun and interesting. This paired alongside with learning being mostly practical and project based leads to a very unique learning experience, completely different from any other educational establishments in our region. The passion that all the members of staff have in their subjects makes learning more enjoyable. The independent study time we get allocated to do all of our work means no work is done at home, which means we can take a fair balance between work and personal lives.
South Wiltshire UTC is a place where educational skills are developed in a very unique way, not only building the skills just to pass our exams, we also gain valuable life skills that will be useful to us for all future employment. For example, we learn to work as team and as individuals to get work done, in enrichment we work with people we might never normally work with and with the great link to regional employers mean that we get to visit work places that other people may never get the opportunity to visit. These visits show us how things are done in a work place and how they can be applied to the learning in lesson time, which makes learning more relevant and more interesting on the whole. UTCPORTSMOUTHNEWSLETTER December2015
Welcome to UTC Portsmouth's first newsletter.
The UTC will open in September 2017 for students in Years 10-13 (aged between 14-19 years old). They'll have the opportunity to study 'hands-on' technical subjects alongside a traditional academic education. UTC Portsmouth aims to increase the number of young people with the skills to become future engineers. For more information about the curriculum and admissions visit the website: http://www.utcportsmouth.org
Our public consultation finished on 19 October and we had an overwhelmingly positive response. 96% of those surveyed said that they were supportive of the DfE entering into a funding agreement for UTC Portsmouth - which is excellent news.
We’ve also been meeting with Bam Construct UK and their architect's Stride Treglown who are working
on the design and build for the £10m scheme. They've developed plans and 3D modelsst of December how the at building might look and these were presented at a pre planning consultation event on 1 Trafalgar School in Hilsea - the site of the UTC.
These drawings and concepts have all been used to produce our planning application which will be submitted to Portsmouth City Council later this month.
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