In a visit to Cambridge Regional College, he said it was a “fantastic project” and would be a huge benefit to Cambridge and the surrounding area.
The minister was at the college to meet partners and sponsors of the innovative UTC, a new centre of excellence for biomedical and environmental science and technology which will open its doors to 14 to 19 year-olds in September 2014.
He said he was very impressed with the businesses and organisations behind the new college, the result of a partnership between Cambridge Regional College and Cambridge University Health Partners, and backed by leading organisations including Napp Pharmaceuticals, the Medical Research Council and the Babraham Institute.
“I think this is a fantastic project and I am really impressed with the number of groups who have come together in the local area to make it a reality,” he said.
“This is a great example of co-operation. Young people in the area will have new high quality and vocational routes which would not be available to them if it were not for the UTC. It will be a huge benefit to Cambridge and the surrounding area.”
The UTC, which will eventually be home to 670 14 to 19 year-olds, will be based in Cambridge, with a wide catchment area from across the region. It will specialise in teaching biomedical and environmental science and technology – addressing a key specialist skills need in Cambridgeshire.
The meeting was hosted by CRC principal Anne Constantine, and attended by Cambridge University Health Partners, city MP Julian Huppert and sponsors’ representatives including Cambridge Cleantech, the Medical Research Council, Long Road Sixth Form College, Cambridgeshire County Council and Takeda Ltd.
For more information, see www.utccambridge.co.uk
Image: County Cllr David Brown, Hugh Parnell from Cambridge Cleantech, Cambridge MP Julian Huppert, Education Minister David Laws, CRC Principal Anne Constantine, Linda Millett from Takeda, Dr Arun Gupta from CUHP and Lawrence Wells from CRC
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