Ron Dearing UTC
Helping students get the edge employers are looking for
Our future business succession plan depends on having a stream of employees with relevant technical and digital skills and the attitude to succeed. At Spencer Group we’re committed to ensuring the next generation of talent have the resources and experiences to help them progress, which is why we became a Founding Partner of Ron Dearing University Technical College.
Ron Dearing UTC is one of the most technologically advanced new schools in the UK, equipped with advanced digital technology and state of the art equipment, matching the very best in industry.
It has been purpose-designed and built and is equipped with the advice of experts from some of the region’s leading employers, including Spencer Group who are at the forefront of the digital revolution transforming the world of work.
Ron Dearing UTC offers a unique curriculum, which combines academic excellence in the core subjects of English, maths and sciences with the opportunity to specialise in digital technology and/or mechatronics – a combination of computing and engineering.
The school’s branded learning spaces and facilities include a Spencer Group Innovation Zone. Designed around the concept of a “design office”, the innovation zone is a place where projects and ideas come to life. It features 30 hot desk working areas to allow students to experience collaborative working as it would happen in the workplace.
UTC students work on real projects designed and delivered by the employer partners, which require them to apply their theoretical learning to a real-life context. In addition, they study towards a range of professional qualifications demanded by industry and specifically selected by the employer sponsors.
As founding partners of Ron Dearing UTC, Spencer Group works closely with students from year 10 onwards with attendance at open events and career expos. The business also provides ongoing support including Work Experience Programme, Interview Skills training, Mock Interview practice, Professional Behaviours and Employability Skills training.
The relationship between Spencer Group and the UTC has created a productive pipeline of fresh talent for the engineering industry as well as opening up exciting and rewarding opportunities for the students.
Spencer Group has now employed over 50 apprentices from Ron Dearing UTC since it opened its doors in 2017.
The school is backed by the University of Hull and its Founding Partner employers KCOM, Reckitt, Siemens Gamesa, Smith & Nephew and Spencer Group – and is also supported extensively by Hull City Council, which gifted the city centre site to enable the school to be built.