It’s been another active week at the UTC, packed with enrichment activities and industry-focused projects, even as we continue to operate across multiple sites.
This week, our T-Level Engineering students have been deeply engaged in a live project brief for Sellafield Ltd. The “Student Brief for Sellafield Employer Set Project (ESP)” immerses students in mechanical design tasks focused on real engineering issues within the nuclear industry’s decommissioning sector.
Having worked on the project throughout last week, on Monday, the students presented their project findings directly to Sellafield management, including Will Burnham (Project Systems Engineering Manager) and John Patterson (Head of Resourcing and Development). We are especially grateful for John’s ongoing support during these challenging times, as he is also one of our longstanding governors.
The project is structured into four challenging core tasks:
- Safety Research: Compiling a foundational report on common nuclear hazards and essential protection/control methods.
- Remote Retrieval Design: Developing a mechanical solution for remote waste retrieval using a scale model of a nuclear vault.
- Size Reduction Design: Creating a mechanical solution for a complex size reduction task using a scale model of a reactor subsystem.
- Professional Presentation: Submitting a final report and presenting their designs in a professional optioneering meeting with management.
This initiative provides invaluable practical experience, preparing students for the complex, high-standards environment of nuclear engineering.
Monday was also a busy day for our Year 12 T-Level Civil Engineering students, who gained fantastic real-world insight during a site visit with Galloway Construction. They saw theoretical learning put into practice and even caught up with former UTC students, Finn and Dylan (Year 13 Civil Engineers), who are currently completing their industry placements on the same site.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, our Year 12 civil engineering girls were interviewed for a ‘Women in Construction’ podcast featuring Renee Preston, the CEO of Galloway Construction. Renee is a powerful advocate for women in the sector and served as an outstanding role model for the students.
Wednesday saw our Year 10 digital team collaborate with industry partners from BMAT, Aston Martin, and Hello Fresh. The students excelled in idea generation and presentation, using this excellent opportunity to develop crucial problem-solving and teamwork skills.
Also on Wednesday, our T-Level Engineers embarked on their next employer-set project, visiting Amazon’s state-of-the-art fulfilment centre in Bolton. This field trip offered a brilliant opportunity for students to experience a live brief within an organisation that is a market leader in automation and AI systems. We look forward to seeing the innovative solutions our learners develop off the back of their trip!
This week, we also held two excellent Remembrance Assemblies on Tuesday, perfectly synchronised between our two sites. A special thank you to Dave Beggs and the cadets for leading and presenting the assemblies with such professionalism and respect.
