UTC Partner Engagement Model
There are a number of ways business partners can support UTC Swindon. If you feel you can support UTC Swindon in anyway please get in touch with Hollie Danby hdanby@utcswindon.co.uk
- Student recruitment
- Student Development
- Student destinations
Activity Type |
Description |
Resource Commitment |
What does good look like? |
Scheduling Information |
Taster days | Running an activity for new students prior to them joining in September | Resource to run a half-day team building workshop with a technical or problem-solving activity | A simple concept based on your working environment, to challenge student teams to complete a task, or identify a solution that may include information about potential apprenticeships | 2x taster days in July and 1x induction day in September
Year 10 and 12 |
Open days | Attendance at Saturday open events promoting the UTC to prospective students and parents | Resources to run a stall | Representatives that are fully aware of the support being offered to the UTC, and are able to explain the benefits of the UTC technical education experience | 4x Saturday open events throughout the year |
Case studies | Presenting your business as, and being presented as, a tangible value add service within the UTC education model | Marketing department schedule of activities for PR | Being an advocate of UTC technical education: Internal communications to all staff, news stories of UTC support, sharing of UTC social media to raise awareness of the UTC, case study of employer-led education | News stories of any engagement with UTC Swindon |
Work experience | 1-2 week placements for students in Year 10 / 12 on site at partners premises | 1x lead manager to coordinate with the UTC and with internal resources | Provide students with the opportunity to meet your team members, and to undertake tasks that enable them to appreciate what work feels like. A project can be designed for students to undertake – this can be used for every work experience placement you have | 2x weeks for Year 12 students in January
2x weeks for Year 10 students in July |
Pipeline programme | 4x full days for KS5 students offsite or working within UTC Swindon, offering students a taste of work within your organisation. The aim is to support students to apply for apprenticeships with yourself at the end of the programme | 4x days/ optional work experience week | To offer real-world experience to the students, run soft skills workshops, mentoring and apprenticeship information.
Where possible students are offered the opportunity to apply for apprenticeships |
4x pre-set days throughout the year and an optional work experience week |
Duke of York | Serving as a consistent support mentor through a year for students | Person to work with groups of students
Or Person to offer 1-2-1 mentoring to student |
Showing interest in students’ aspirations, challenges, and provide anecdotal insight based on your career experiences. Serving as a model for how students should communicate in a professional environment with people in the students’ chosen specialism | Days to be organised by the partner depending on support offered for the award |
Soft skills workshops | Range of activities covering: CV writing, presentation skills, interview skills, mock interviews, in order to enhance key employability skills | Resource to run the workshop | To be an interactive experience for students. To relate specifically to your recruitment process wherever possible | These are offered throughout the year at agreed times. |
Careers fair | Attending for an afternoon to meet all specialist students (and parents) | Resource to man the stall | Stall to allow groups of students to talk to you about your career pathways and give them clear direction on the application process and what you are looking for during interviews and assessments | Half day in November – more if workshops can be offered in the morning |
Apprenticeship presentations and workshops | Delivering multiple career talks to students in all year groups | 1x hour talk/ workshop | Ideal: UTC alumnus to describe the first year(s) working for you, or: relevant employee to describe potential career pathways within your organisation | These are offered throughout the year at agreed times |
Curriculum support | Sponsoring of a subject whereby partner defines a real world environment for students to apply their learning to | Support within lessons | Interactive sessions – clear learning pathway defined for students i.e. why am I learning this, what am I learning, how am I going to learn it? Formative feedback to enable students to reflect and understand how to improve | In order to plan the curriculum ideally project in the curriculum, employer and teacher should collaborate at the beginning of the summer term (end of April) to prepare materials |
Specialist workshops | Provide complementary activities to curriculum subjects | 1x hour/ half day or full day activities | Technical activities that enable students to get hands on experience; this may include offering support for one the students BTEC units or offering a one off classroom based lesson to embed learning. | These are offered throughout the year at agreed times |