NAA Event Review: Liverpool Life Sciences University Technical College (UTC) Networking Event
Our June networking event was kindly hosted by Liverpool-based NAA member Liverpool Life Sciences University Technical College (UTC), the first school in the UK to specialise in science and health care for students aged 14 – 19, where we were welcomed by Nigel Ward, Chief Executive – Northern Schools Trust and Dan Howard, Employer Partnerships – Programme Lead.
Dan gave an overview of the theme for the event – Empowering Education for Future Skills – an Automotive Industry Insight.
He explained that the UTC’s vision is that digital transformation in education revolves around empowering students with technology to reimagine how things are designed, made, implemented and used. The UTC focuses on leveraging digital tools to enhance efficiency, innovation, and sustainability across design and manufacturing sectors and at the heart of future skills are convergence, collaboration and automation.
Dan then went on to explain the concept of Connected Teams, where using digital tools integrates a simple way for different disciplines and teams to converge into one development and manufacturing space, thereby eliminating digital silos. Automated tools were then explored, where decisions and processes shouldn’t sit idle, with digital transformation allowing this to be
sped up via augmented, mixed and virtual reality, machine learning and Artificial intelligence.
Dan then gave an overview of the T Level qualification structure as follows:
• Core Subjects – approximately 560 hours of teaching
• Occupational specialism – approximately 560 hours of teaching
• Industry placement – approximately 215 hours of industry input
The Design, Development and Production option consists of the following elements:
• Core engineering principles
• Business and Commercial Awareness
• Standards
Dan then went on to explain that as educators, the UTC:
• Integrate industry-standard platforms into their curriculum
• Develop opportunities for collaborative and project-based learning
• Adapt their teaching to keep up with industry trends through staff CPD
• Partner by building an industry-driven education
Delegates were then given a tour of the college, which included live student demonstrations on:
• Generative design
• Data analytics
• Virtual reality within an engineering workshop environment
Dan explained that connecting with industry is vital and that future skills rely on a two-way connection: Connecting education with industry and connecting industry with education.
Current automotive business partners in the region, in addition to the NAA, include BAC, Ford Halewood and Surface Transforms. Anyone wishing to explore future opportunities for collaboration with the UTC can contact Zoe for further details.
