January 25 2015.

Steve Saunders writes:


With the recent announcement that Newhaven is to have a new University Technical College built on the site of the Marine Workshops in the Harbour, the District Council and College are hosting some taster days for potential students. These are opportunities for young people presently in years 9 and 11 and hoping to pursue a career in maths, science, engineering, computing or the environment to experience what the new UTC can offer them and book their place at this exciting facility.

UTC@harbourside is an exciting new university technical college. A state school especially designed for 14 to 18 year olds with a real desire to get both practical skills and real life job training that will give them an advantage in the jobs market. At the UTC you can learn these subjects in an exciting new way in the context of real life situations, gain GCSEs, A Levels and BTECs in subjects that employers and universities place a premium on and learn from business and industry professionals, not just teachers. So you can leave college with skills and experience that employers value, as well as qualifications.

There are opportunities to learn in a completely different way and the chance to try interesting experiences like scuba diving and sailing as part of the PE curriculum and the core subjects developed with local and national industries, giving students a head start in their careers.

The next opportunity is being hosted on Saturday the 31st of January from 11.00am to 1.00pm at Brightwells Dispensers Ltd Unit 9, Euro Business Park, Estate Road, Newhaven, East Sussex, BN9 0DQ.

There will be two further Taster events in Eastbourne on Thursday the 12th of February, from 6.00pm to 8.00pm and Saturday the 21st of February, from 11.00am to 1.00pm.

The new college is being carefully designed to retain many of the architectural features of the Marine Workshops and will be a fantastic environment in which to study. It is scheduled to open in September and places will be limited, so I encourage anyone who wants the chance to be a part of this positive new learning facility to get along to the taster session on Saturday next week. You've nothing to lose and everything to gain from this state of the art facility. If you have sons or daughters who you think will be interested, or know of young people who would gain from this opportunity, please encourage them to come along, before the places are filled.

It is really good news for Newhaven and together with the Rampion Windfarm contract at the port, it will be a massive boost for the town and the young people of the district.


Councillor Steve Saunders


For more information or to download a full prospectus visit www.utc-harbourside.org or call 01273 640776