Southampton to get University Technical College

By Tom Kilkelly

24 August 2023

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The Business Magazine article image for: Southampton to get University Technical College

Credit: UTC Portsmouth

A new free school, one of 15 opened in the UK, is being opened in Southampton as part of a government initiative to provide more opportunities for young people.

The University Technical College (UTC) will teach up to 600 14- to 19-year-olds, offering a mix of A-Levels and T Levels.

This new college will be run by UTC Portsmouth and aims to help students take the next step, whether that be into the workplace or into a place at university.

James Doherty, Principal of UTC Portsmouth, said: "It is a real privilege to have been selected from the shortlisted bids to be part of this new wave of schools.

“It was clear from the level of support from local employers and from existing demand for UTC Portsmouth that there is a clear demand for high end technical education.

"At UTC Portsmouth we offer something really different for students who love STEM and want to work hard to achieve their ambitions of working in this field.

“UTC Southampton will allow more young people than ever to engage with a specialist STEM environment and will bolster the number of individuals trained for high end technical jobs in the region."

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The curriculum at this new college will be, according to UTC Portsmouth, 'broad and ambitious' and in line with the government's plan to provide stronger educations in areas where 'education outcomes are weakest'.

Although the school is funded by the government, there will be no input from the local authority in the running of the school.

Gillian Keegan, Education Secretary, said: “We want to make more good school places available to families, and these 15 new free schools will bring brand new opportunities to young people.

“Free schools bring high standards, more choice for parents and strong links to industry – and all in the areas where those opportunities are needed most. 

“These new schools build on this Government’s work to drive up school standards since 2010, with 88 per cent of schools now rated good or outstanding – up from 68 per cent - and high performing academies and free schools in all parts of the country.”

By Tom Kilkelly

Tom Kilkelly started working as a freelance journalist for The Business Magazine following his graduation from UCL in 2022.

During his studies Tom became very interested in the works of Irish authors including Samuel Beckett and Flann O'Brien (Brian O'Nolan).

His current role as a freelance business reporter is his first exposure to the world of business journalism. Working at TBM has given Tom the chance to really get to grips with the goings-on in the business hive that is the South East.