Aylesbury Students To Go Abroad Through Turing Scheme

24th September 2021

Bucks UTC Students to Visit Thailand and China Through The Turing Scheme

Bucks University Technical College (UTC), a Secondary School in Aylesbury, is one of 412 applications submitted to the Turing Scheme and the only UTC to have been approved. In a first for Aylesbury, Bucks UTC students aged 16+ will have a unique, ‘once in a lifetime’ opportunity.

The Turing Scheme is the UK Government’s initiative to provide funding for international opportunities in education and training across the world. It aims to develop ‘Global Britain’ by supporting UK organisations from higher education, vocational education, training and school sectors in giving their students life-changing experiences to study or work abroad.

The proposed Turing activities will take our students’ specialist subjects to a new level. Students studying Computing will experience manufacturing research and development in the major IT manufacturing hub in Bangkok, Thailand. Meanwhile, Building Studies students will look at cutting edge construction techniques in Beijing, China. The hosts in both cities are major providers of vocational IT Education and Construction Engineering.

Along with World City Links, Sarah Valentine (Principal) learned that the Bucks UTC application had been accepted in August 2021. The trips are being launched to students on 24^th September 2021, with students due to complete their visits in 2022.

Bucks UTC Principal, Sarah Valentine, says:

“We want our students to experience the short-term placements in the Asia Business Hubs of Bangkok and Beijing. They will witness the energy of Asia and the vast wealth and great disparity of Asian society. We want to inspire them and their future destinations, to gaining a place on a degree apprenticeship or university place focussed on technical careers in the UK and abroad. “

Students from a wide range of secondary schools join Bucks UTC in Year 10 and Year 12. It offers a change of environment to develop students’ technical and employability skills for their next steps. Bucks UTC have successfully run a number of international visits in previous years. This experience enhances student motivation, independence, aspirations and understanding of international cultures, giving them a significant advantage when moving on to further study, apprenticeships or employment.

The Aylesbury region is quite unique and needs a University Technical College (UTC) with these kinds of activities. As a direct consequence, it is fully expected that the students will access higher education apprenticeships or a degree.

At Bucks UTC, student numbers are increasing and those interested in joining from September 2022 should attend one of the upcoming open events with the first ones being Saturday 16^th October and 2^nd December. Bucks UTC believes in “today’s education for tomorrow’s careers”.

About Turing Scheme

The funding results have been released, more than 40,000 students will be preparing to study and work abroad under Turing Scheme funding.

More than 40,000 students, learners and pupils are set to experience study and work around the world during the 2021-22 academic year after almost £100 million of funding was approved in the inaugural Turing Scheme call for proposals.

A total of 363 applications from universities, schools and further education and training providers across the United Kingdom were approved from 412 applications received by the Turing Scheme Delivery Partner, a consortium of the British Council and Ecorys UK.

About UTCs

University Technical Colleges are today’s education for tomorrow’s careers

University Technical Colleges were established in response to demand from employers seeking to fill skills gaps in their local areas. They are state funded and non-selective. Local employers and a University govern each UTC. Employers go into the schools to work with students on live projects and provide a programme of work experience for every student. Employer partners include BAE Systems, Network Rail, Fujitsu, Rolls Royce, Microsoft, Siemens, Morgan Sindall, and the Royal Navy.

Bucks UTC was built and opened in 2013 with a capacity for 500+ students. There are now 48 UTCs open, educating almost 16,000 students across England.

In September 2020, some 2,500 18-year-olds left UTCs. 55% went on to university, of them, 72% started a degree course in science, technology, engineering or maths (STEM) (the national average is 42%). Apprenticeship destinations for UTC students are outstanding in terms of quantity and quality: Over the past five years, on average about one-quarter of eighteen year old UTC leavers start an apprenticeship (the national average is 6%) and over half of these are at higher or degree level.