New University Technical College opens in Cambridge

The first students at UTC Cambridge started work today at their innovative college – the result of a partnership between Cambridge Regional College and Cambridge University Health Partners.

More than 180 young people have enrolled at the new Government-funded University Technical College, which specialises in teaching environmental science and technology.

Open to young people from 14 to 19, who can join in years 10 and 12, the UTC is training students to fill the skills gap in Cambridge’s thriving biomedical and technology industries.

They will be taught practical skills by teachers and spend much of their time doing industry-driven Challenge Projects, supported and mentored by the college’s sponsors, which include Cambridge University Health Partners, East of England NHS, Napp Pharmaceuticals, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Medical Research Council and Babraham Institute.

Principal Melanie Radford said the UTC was providing a world class science education for its students, with all teachers having at least five years’ experience and close involvement from employers.

“It’s fantastic to see to see the students’ excited faces. They were all talking and getting to know one another and there is a real buzz about the place,” she said.

“We are going to give them an outstanding education based on giving them the practical skills employers in the science sector are looking for, which is not available anywhere else in Cambridge and outside other UTCs. It’s about getting them ready for the workplace, as well as further and higher education.”

The college, which will have a capacity of 670 students, is sited in Robinson Way in Cambridge. Students are currently studying at Cambridge Regional College’s Deakin Learning Centre on the Cambridge Biomedical Centre before moving into their new £10 million state-of-the-art building later this month.

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MEDIA ENQUIRIES For more information, please contact Lynn O’Shea, Cambridge Regional College Press Officer, on 01223 418773 or email