New college opens its doors to careers in food and drink

28-Jul-2013 - Last updated on 29-Jul-2013 at 16:09 GMT

Opening its doors next month: Wigan University Technical College

Next month Wigan University Technical College (UTC), which will specialise in providing young people between 14 and 18 with the skills required to embark on careers in food and drink manufacture, will open its doors.

At a cost of around £6M, Wigan UTC is one of a number of similar institutions being set up across the country. UTCs offer the unique opportunity for education and business to come together and develop the skills that will be needed by industry in the future.

Speaking at a conference on continuous improvement in food and beverage production organised by Mitsubishi Electric Europe in Hatfield last month, Wigan UTC principal Chris Hatherall described the thinking behind the new institution, which this year has 125 places for Year 10 students and 50 places for Year 12 students, but eventually aims to take on up to 500 students.

'Grow and grow'

"Hopefully over the next few years [UTCs] will grow and grow," said Hatherall. Currently there are five UTCs around the country, but in June this year the government approved funding for another 20 a year. Including Wigan, 12 will be opening their doors this September, Hatherall added.

Next year 15 more UTCs are expected to open and a further 13 in 2015, bringing the total number to 45 spread across the country.

Hatherall said UTCs have to be sponsored by a university – in Wigan's case, the University of Central Lancashire – and have an "industry-focused curriculum". They provide training for 40 weeks a year and are open between 8.30am and 5pm, with students assigned industrial placements for some of this time, "to get people ready for the real world of work", he said.

'Not delivering apprenticeships'

"We are not delivering apprenticeships, but we are preparing students to move on to higher-level apprenticeships."

Wigan UTC has pilot-scale food manufacturing facilities that, according to Hatherall, can be used to manufacture soup, pie fillings or ice cream. It also has facilities to grow plants using hydroponics and fish using aquaponics in a sustainable manner in its "vertical farm".

It has major food manufacturing employers Heinz, Pataks, and Hazeldene Foods in the local vicinity, and Cargill in nearby Manchester. These firms are among over 40 partnering with Wigan UTC.