Education Minister Visits Uxbridge College

During a recent visit Education Minister, Michelle Donelan MP, praised Uxbridge College’s “fantastic work”. She said: Further Education is a big priority for the government; that’s why we recently announced an additional £400 million for six forms and colleges next year. Uxbridge College is doing fantastic work to make sure more young people can gain the skills they need to progress and secure rewarding careers. It was great to meet students and staff and to see how the college is preparing to deliver new T Levels from September 2020 and working with employers including Heathrow,Fujitsu and Brunel University London to provide high-quality technical training through the West London Institute of Technology.

Deputy CEO Pat Carvalho, Minister Donelan, Darrell DeSouza, Alex Jones (Minister’s Private Secretary

 

The high profile visit focussed on the college’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) provision, including the new West London Institute of Technology, run under HCUC, the merged college group of Harrow College and Uxbridge College. Minister Donelan is overseeing major changes in the UK around how technical skills are taught, having recently taken over ministerial responsibilities including the introduction of T Levels and the national Institute of Technology (IoT) programme.

The Minister visited electrical and electronic engineering workshops and classrooms, chatting with students and staff and finding out more about their theoretical and practical teaching and learning. She discussed HCUC’s work to develop both its Institute of Technology, the introduction of T Levels, the new technical qualification equivalent to three A Levels and including an industry placement next year.

Dr Darrell DeSouza, Principal of Uxbridge College and CEO of HCUC, said: It was really pleasing to be chosen for this visit by Minister Donelan and to have a chance to show her our excellent academic and practical facilities. It was also extremely interesting to discuss the key work taking place in Further Education and with employers towards equipping more young people with technical qualifications and work skills in these sectors. Any additional funding for FE is undoubtedly always welcome. It’s a great privilege for HCUC to have been chosen both to head up the West London Institute of Technology and to provide T Levels as well as receiving such a high level visit in support of our work.

HCUC is at the helm of one of just twelve collaborations selected nationally to set up an IoT which provides higher level STEM education – HNCs, HNDs and Higher Apprenticeships which are equivalent to two year’s undergraduate study (Level 4 and Level 5). T Levels (Level 3) will also be offered in Childcare, Digital Production and Design and Development from 2020. No other London FE College has been offered the T Level pilot by the Government for the launch.

 

 

 

 

 

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