Delight as technical college opens in £9.9m Sheffield base

The UTC Sheffield will combine traditional academic teaching with specialised technical education in advanced engineering and manufacturing and the creative and digital industries – areas identified as being key to the local economy.

The facility combines classrooms with a scaled-down factory production line, robotic equipment and state-of-the-art recording studios for the UTC’s two specialisms. It also boasts a roof-top sports pitch, with space at a premium in its city centre location.

The UTC Sheffield is one of 12 UTCs – a new type of school run for 14- to 19-year-olds – which have opened around the country this year, and its pupils have joined at the age of either 14 or at 16, having done their GCSEs.

At 14 they will spend 60 per cent of their time studying traditional GCSEs and 40 per cent on their vocational study toward a technical qualification in either engineering and manufacturing or the creative and digital industries.

At post 16 the balance switches with 60 per cent of time spent on technical study and 40 per cent on doing up to three A-levels.

Principal Nick Crew said: “I am delighted at now being in the UTC Sheffield building with the full staff team and our students.

“The building, resources and curriculum planning are extremely impressive and will help to 
have a real impact on the future region’s young people and economic growth in our two focus areas.”

The UTC is fitted with £1m of specialist equipment including engineering mini factories, Raspberry Pi workshops for creating and testing technology and advanced Apple Mac design suites.

It also has hi-tech studios for digital and creative media projects including music and sound technology, film, animation and photography.

The facility includes the refurbished Victorian former Sydney Works building, which was once a silversmiths and now houses part of the creative and digital department.

Pupils’ working day for some of the week will be from 8.30am until 5pm and the work they do will involve regular contact with the employers who are signed up to support the UTC.

Mr Crew said: “The whole drive behind the UTC has been to give pupils not just the technical skills they need to work in their chosen area but also the wider skills they will need in the workplace.”

The national diploma qualifications they study for will involve a series of projects and challenges set by employers. Mr Crew said that by the time pupils who start at 14 leave the UTC they could have four years’ worth of industry experience.

Student Praise Ncube, 14, who is studying advanced engineering and manufacturing, wants to go into a career in prosthetics, which involves designing and manufacturing artificial limbs.

She said: “It’s a unique form of education at the UTC Sheffield. I chose to study here to learn more about working life, and better my prospects.”

Hannah Marrett, 15, who is studying creative and digital media, said: “I chose the UTC Sheffield because of the opportunities to develop creative and digital, and job-related skills.”

More than 40 employers from both the advanced engineering and manufacturing, and the creative and digital media industries sectors, are backing the UTC in a range of ways. This includes providing sponsorship and work placements, and shaping the curriculum by setting industry-based projects.

Key supporters include Siemens, Newburgh Engineering, Rolls Royce, Sheffield Forgemasters, Tata Steel, Sheffield University’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre with Boeing, Performance Engineered Solutions, Team Cooper Games, Warp Films, Edumake technology, Resolve IT and Visionmix..

The new school is run by the UTC Sheffield Academy Trust. The UTC has been sponsored and led by Sheffield College with Sheffield Hallam University and the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce and Industry as co-sponsors.

Sheffield City Council first launched the application, and is providing the land on a 125-year lease at a peppercorn rent.