The £10 million college, which will specialise in teaching biomedical and environmental science and technology, opens in September this year, sponsored by Cambridge University Health Partners and Cambridge Regional College and supported by Cambridge Cleantech and a range of world-leading businesses.
Lord Baker, the pioneer behind UTCs and chairman of the Baker-Dearing Educational Trust - who attended the college's recent topping out ceremony - praised the specialist science college for 14 to 19 year-olds and said it would be “a great success”.
“This whole concept of UTC Cambridge was only a dream in 2012 and it is quite remarkable that we have the framework of the building up and that students will be here in September,” he said. “I am very excited about this UTC and I am delighted to be here – it is going to be a great success. The youngsters in this college will not need to join the ranks of the unemployed.”
Martin Garratt, CEO of Cambridge Cleantech comments that “many cleantech sector companies require technical level staff and currently struggle to find individuals with the relevant background training. The new course will contribute to filling this gap and in so doing, help the cleantech sector to continue to flourish in the Cambridge area”
UTC Cambridge principal Melanie Radford, said the visionary college was part of an innovative development in education. “UTCs are the most exciting educational venture in the world at the moment. With the help of the employer partners and governors this is going to be a spectacular success,” she said.
The state-funded UTC will take students from a 25-mile radius of Cambridge, offering GCSEs, A levels and practical qualifications alongside special industry-led Challenge Projects.
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