Hackney school to train pupils in digital skills

Hackney UTC

By Sarah Collins, Digital Daily reporter

A school which will allow children to train in digital infrastructure will be opening in Hackney in September.

Hackney University Technical College will be have 100 spaces for 14-19 year olds and will let them train in digital or health technologies – along with the normal curriculum of maths, English and science.

It is the first school of its type in London and the third  in the United Kingdom.

Michael McKeaveney, the Vice Principal, speaking to potential students at Digital Shoreditch said: “I think it’s bang on about what we’re trying to create at the University Technical College. I think the whole Digital Shoreditch idea is completely aligned with what we want to do as well. We have lots of people here who are already our partners.”

They’re looking for students who are interested in digital or health infrastructures, who choose for themselves to go there. Various companies, including BT and CISCO are offering students project time.

Homerton Hospital is also offering technical placements to students, once they reach the age of 16.

But what McKeaveney says is most important is creating a local workforce in Tech City.

“A lot of the local children in Tower Hamlets, Islington, Newham and Hackney are almost pressing their faces up against a glass window. It’s like they see people come from Oxford and Cambridge to come and work here, but they’re jobs that they could be doing. They could be earning that sort of money; they could be having that sort of life in the city. That they often don’t consider, which is really what UTC’s about.”

He said he was excited about the school. “First one in London. Third one in the country. It’s gonna be great.”