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Skilled up: A healthy supply chain is in the interests of Derby firms big and small
A university technical college for the city of Derby, the home of Rolls-Royce, has moved a step closer to reality after the council granted planning permission for work to begin on its construction at Locomotive Way, Pride Park.
The university technical college (UTC) is one of a number planned around the country and designed to fill skills gaps in industry by training young engineers. The £8 million centre is backed by local engineering employers Rolls-Royce, Toyota and Bombardier as well as Derby College and the University of Derby. Many small firms in the area are also involved.
The UTC will have capacity for up to 600 young people aged 14 to 19. They will study core GCSEs, A-
levels and engineering qualifications enhanced by project-based learning, work placements, employer site visits, and lectures by industry experts.
Louise Curd, director of enterprise and innovation at Derby College, said the skills gap “was getting bigger”. “A UTC can help to bridge that gap and it’s part of the city’s regeneration plans.” It was important that students were enrolled in the UTC for the right reasons, she said. “This is not an opportunity to leave school and go to another one because you have behavioural issues.”
Some local firms were more easily convinced than others to become involved. The aspiration is for 100 firms to participate in the UTC programme, Curd said. “It could just be coming in and talking about careers. But that input is precious.”
For a global engineering firm such as Rolls-Royce, the aim was to develop apprenticeships at other companies through the Derby UTC. Curd said: “Rolls-Royce recognises that this is an opportunity for people to be developed who could go on to work in the local supply chain. They need that supply chain to be intact, positive, and able to serve their future demands.” Rolls-Royce’s own apprenticeship schemes are heavily oversubscribed.
Charles Addison, chief operating officer of Made in the Midlands, a membership organisation dedicated to supporting manufacturing and engineering firms across the region, said: “In the future, Midlands industry will be hungrier. It survived a difficult proving ground in the recession. It is well positioned to compete and we need to establish a healthy supply chain.
“The sector in this area is outperforming the rest of the UK economy. It is something people should look at and take notice.” Firms were serving as many sectors as possible in order to offset the effects of contraction in one industry, Addison said.