Students at UTC celebrate technical and A Level success
Students at UTC are celebrating a strong set of technical and academic results.
Students have completed technical qualifications in engineering or health and life sciences as well as A Levels.
The technical qualifications are equivalent to between one and three A Levels. The technical qualification pass rate for engineering is 94% and 100% for health and life sciences.
This year, 90% of students completed academic subjects alongside their technical qualifications. The pass rate for A Level grades from A* to B is 16%.
Record numbers of students have progressed onto apprenticeships and degree apprenticeships from this year with companies including Greenhatch, Rolls-Royce, Core Control Solutions and JCB.
Rhydian Watkins, Vice Principal of UTC Derby Pride Park, said: “We are very proud of our students and the fact that they benefit from a technical and academic education which prepares them well for university, apprenticeships and their future careers.
“Our well-established work with employers supports students to develop high level technical, team work and problem solving skills, as they learn how to apply knowledge to practice.”
Ben Downing, 18, has secured a Level 3 apprenticeship as a tool room technician after completing his studies at UTC.
Ben has achieved a double distinction merit in his Engineering Level 3 Extended Diploma and a grade C in core maths. He said: “I’m really pleased and looking forward to starting my apprenticeship.”
Ben will now be joining JCB in his new role, where he’ll work on the factory floor and learn to operate their machinery.
He said: “My overall experience of the UTC has been very good. I definitely made the right decision to come here. I have become a lot more confident and gained engineering skills that will help me in my new role.”
During his time at the UTC Ben worked on the CANSAT project: “As a group we made a satellite the size of a can. We took a day trip to York where we tested the satellite we made. It was a great opportunity and a lot of fun.”
Heidi Taylor is progressing to the University of Gloucestershire to study primary teaching with a focus on ages 3 to 7.
Heidi said: “I’m happy with what I’ve got, it’s given me what I needed for university. I’m dyslexic and the teachers have been so supportive and great. They respect you as a person not just as a student.”
She has achieved a distinction star and a distinction in her health and social care technical qualification and a distinction in applied science.
Meanwhile, engineer Luke Mason is off to join Rolls-Royce as an apprentice welder.
Luke has just achieved a distinction double merit in his engineering technical qualification and a D grade in core maths. He said: “I’ve got what I needed and I’m happy.”
Rolls-Royce is an employer partner of the UTC. Asked whether he thought his studies at the UTC had helped him to secure his new role, Luke said: “Yes, I do think it did. A lot of what I’ve done here I wouldn’t have done elsewhere. It gave me a lot of talking points.
“Working with employers at UTC and understanding engineering meant I was able to approach people during the assessment centre a lot easier.
“I had the confidence, and I was comfortable speaking to them. I understood what I needed to do during the practical elements and without UTC I don’t think I would have.”
Luke joined the UTC in Year 12, after finding during an open event he liked the idea of the practical elements and being able to access the equipment and workshops.
He added: “I think I made the right decision to come here. Overall, it’s been good. I’ve found the staff to be good and approachable.”
Inderdeep Singh will be joining JCB as a Level 4 manufacturing apprentice after excelling in his studies at UTC.
He joined the UTC in Year 12 and has achieved a double distinction in his engineering technical qualification. He also studied A Level maths and physics.
Inderdeep said: “I’m pleased, I’ve got what I wanted.” Inderdeep has been involved in various projects during his studies including one with the Royal Navy:
He explained: “We had to build a remote-controlled boat that could pick up objects, we took it out to compete against other UTCs and made it to the national finals.”
Asked what we he say to others considering UTC, he said: “Go for it! If you want work in engineering or health it’s the best decision you’ll make!”