A new University Technical College (UTC) which will accommodate some 600 students looks set to be built in north Liverpool.
Subject to planning approval, the UTC would open in September 2015 on the site of the former Anfield Comprehensive School. It would specialise in courses related to engineering, logistics and construction.
Agreement for the development has been reached between the Department of Education, Liverpool City Council and the UTC’s trustees. A planning application will be submitted following a consultation with local residents.
The college will be called UTC Liverpool Engineering and Logistics and will teach 14 to 18-year-olds a range of specialist skills alongside the mainstream curriculum.
The trustees delivering the project are the City of Liverpool College, Liverpool John Moores University and international engineering company Laing O’Rourke.
It will create new jobs in the area and will be designed and built to the highest standards.
Partners in the enterprise include Peel Ports and engineering consultancy Arup. Kier construction would build the new facility.
Liverpool Mayor Joe Anderson said the development would provide a major boost to the economy of north Liverpool.
He said: “This is fantastic news for the city and for the Anfield area. It will be an asset not just for the north Liverpool community but for the whole city region.
“Teenagers attending the UTC will be equipped with technical skills which will give them a head start in their careers. The UTC will also play a key role in delivering the kinds of skills which will help Liverpool position itself as a centre of excellence in engineering and logistics.
“The UTC will therefore directly support the investment planned by companies such as Peel Ports and the many leading engineering and construction employers in the region.”
Tom Higgins, Business leader, Construction North, at UTC trustee Laing O’Rourke, said: “The Liverpool UTC will equip young people for future success, developing the knowledge and skills required for the modern construction environment that innovative businesses look for. Securing this location is a positive step on the journey to making this a reality in the area.”
Elaine Bowker, principal of the City of Liverpool College, added: “The new UTC will offer teenagers across the city a very different approach to secondary education, giving them vocational skills alongside traditional academic qualifications. We believe it will play a major role in equipping the city with skilled workers for years to come.”
Edward Harcourt, pro Vice Chancellor from Liverpool John Moores University, said: “The UTC will work closely with its partners in industry to deliver a different kind of learning, combining practical workshops, industry placements and academic modules.”
Howard Sloane, Group HR Director for Peel Ports, said: “Peel Ports is fully committed to developing a direct link to students who show an interest in logistics. The UTC development is both timely and entirely relevant to our business: construction for the Port of Liverpool’s new deep water container terminal Liverpool2 is now well underway and will create thousands of skilled jobs when it opens for business in 2015.”
UTC Liverpool Engineering and Logistics expects to take in its first students in September 2015. Those interested in applying for places should visit the website – www.utcliverpool.co.uk
