SIEMENS SUPPORTS YORKSHIRE’S FIRST UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Phil Black - PII Editor 11/09/2012

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Yorkshire’s first university technical college (UTC) will benefit from significant support and expertise from engineering specialist Siemens Metals Technologies (MT).

A ground-breaking ceremony on 7 September marked the commencement of construction of Sheffield’s UTC, which will provide vocational learning for up to 600 students aged 14 to 19.

Siemens MT is providing advice on taught materials, as well as assisting with procuring and integrating equipment for the college. The Sheffield UTC will specialise in advanced engineering and manufacturing, and creative and digital media.

This is the second UTC in the UK that Siemens is actively supporting; the first was the Black Country UTC, which opened last year.

Jon Stewart is Blast Furnace Director at Siemens MT, and the main Siemens sponsor:

“Well-motivated, adaptable and confident young people are the lifeblood of any organisation, and Siemens is no exception. They are the reason why we take part in a wide range of education initiatives, but the UTC concept is special because it adds another dimension, by developing these attributes in the context of the skills that employers need.

“Siemens has been one of the principal supporters of UTCs from the beginning, most notably as the main sponsor of the Black Country UTC. We want to continue and consolidate that relationship with the Sheffield UTC, calling on the local business (Metals Technologies in Siemens’ Industry sector) to front our engagement. We know from experience that the effort we put in today will be rewarded tomorrow in the quality of our staff. We know too that the collective effort of a region’s technical community benefits all the organisations that make up that community, and so we’re pleased to be part of a large and diverse team of industrialists and educators, who are bringing the UTC into being.”

The £8.5m Sheffield UTC is due to be completed by September 2013. It will be a three-storey college with practical learning provision as well as sports facilities including a five-a-side football pitch on its roof.

More information on Siemens Metals Technologies’ involvement with the new Sheffield UTC is available from Andy Sykes on 01709 726749, or by email at andy.sykes@siemens.com

For more information on the Sheffield UTC, please go to www.utcsheffield.org.uk