Burnley's new college offers a vision of the future (From Burnley and Pendle Citizen)
When news happens, text LT and your photos and videos to 80360. Or contact us by email or phone.
Burnley's new college offers a vision of the future
2:59pm Monday 4th March 2013 in News
By Jessica Cree, Education reporter
Ryan Hamer, 14, of Read, with a robotic car
BURNLEY’S new £10.3million university technical college gave students a taste of things to come during an open day on Saturday.
Supported by businesses, the work-based learning school for 14 to 19-year-olds is at Victoria Mill in the Weaver's Triangle and will focus on engineering and construction subjects when it opens in August this year.
The building is not yet finished, but 3D images of what the college is expected to look like have now been released.
Employers including Graham Engineering, Chubb Systems and National Grid set up stalls for the open day to show teenagers what they could offer.
Martin Callagher, managing director, said: “The purpose of the open day was to let people know what the UTC is all about and how we will be able to benefit them.
“The courses are academic, but we do it in such a way that the individual gets practical experience as well.”
The UTC is a scheme run by the Visions Learning Trust, which has Training 2000 as its lead sponsor.
Simon Reynish, who works in logistics support at Padiham-based Fagan and Whalley, said the business was supporting the UTC to help it find future employees.
He said: “We are looking at this as a long-term succession link for our business.”
Mohammed Ally, from Blackburn, was at the open day with his parents Sodack and Firoza. The 16-year-old said: “I am considering coming to the UTC in September.
“It is more to do with engineering, which is what I want to do in the future.
“I want to do chemical engineering and I think this will give me the right experience.”
And 13-year-old Jake Cudworth took a look around the modernised building with his dad Andrew.
Mr Cudworth said: “Jake is thinking about coming to the UTC in the future.
“He is still weighing up his options, but he will be choosing his GCSE options next year and they are going to be based around engineering and electronics.
“University puts me off because it is £9,000 a year and you have to pay that back, but with an apprenticeship, you don’t.”
