Official Opening for Black Country UTC

The new Black Country University Technical College (UTC) has officially opened for learning, with a high profile visit by Kenneth Baker (The Rt Hon Lord Baker of Dorking CH), which took place on Tuesday 13th September.

Lord Baker, who is a firm supporter of UTCs and is Chair of the Baker-Dearing Educational Trust, visited the Black Country UTC to have a guided tour of the new facilities and speak to its first cohort of students.

The new Black Country UTC is one of the first of a new breed of schools across the country, offering 14 – 19 year olds the opportunity to gain the qualifications and skills required for an exciting and rewarding career in science and engineering.

The Black Country UTC will deliver the ‘best of both worlds’, combining the academic curriculum with high quality technical education. The new school is being supported by lead sponsor, Walsall College and co-sponsor, University of Wolverhampton, as well as receiving the full backing of Walsall Council. In addition to this, the curriculum and facilities have been developed using strong partnerships with local employers. All the courses are actively shaped by world renowned employers, such as Siemens, ZF Lemforder and Finning along with other experienced local businesses.

Chris Hilton, Principal of the Black Country UTC, said: “We were delighted to have Lord Baker visit the Black Country UTC in our first week of opening. The Black Country UTC provides an inspirational learning environment. Our young people will be successful, make a positive contribution to society, have entrepreneurial skills and meet the needs of employers in the West Midlands. The school will reinvigorate the Black Country’s engineering heritage and our students have been very excited to get started!”