Morgan Sindall Infrastructure has been appointed as ‘platinum partner’ to the Energy Coast University Technical College (UTC) in Workington, Cumbria. The company has been actively involved with the UTC since it opened its doors to students aged 14 -19 years in September 2014.
Over the past five years Morgan Sindall Infrastructure has worked collaboratively with the UTC providing a variety of assistance including governing support, helping the school to develop and run employer engagement programmes as well as financial donations. In addition, the company has offered work experience placements to a number of students as well as contributing employees’ time to help with open evenings, workshops, assemblies and other one off employer engagement events.
Morgan Sindall Infrastructure has also sponsored the student’s uniform since 2014. This sponsorship has ensured that all the students have both uniform and the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that they require as part of their learning at the school. Previously, the company also contributed towards enabling the school to provide a specialist teaching programme for students who needed additional help with their English and numeracy.
Most recently, the company donated £50,000 to the school to enable it to invest in equipment such as laptops and further teaching provisions for the students.
Furthermore, students from the school have gone on to join Morgan Sindall Infrastructure as employees. One of the first students who joined the school, Lauren Moore is currently studying for her Electrotechnical apprenticeship through the company. Lauren, is in her second year of her apprenticeship and works four days a week onsite for the company gaining practical experience and spends one day a week at the local college, Gen2.
Charlie Minshaw, another of the first students at the school is currently being sponsored by Morgan Sindall Infrastructure through the Institute of Civil Engineers QUEST scheme to complete his Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering at Newcastle University.
In 2018, 82% of leavers’ secured apprenticeships with the remaining 18% going to university. This is against a national average of 6% securing apprenticeships and a Cumbria average of 5%.
Student progress at A level and in practical Level 3 qualifications was above national average with outstanding engineering and civil engineering results. Student progress at GCSE was well above the national averages with outstanding results in engineering, civil engineering and English and maths.
Simon Smith, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure’s managing director, said: “We are committed to being a responsible and inclusive business and one of the key elements of this is enhancing the communities that we work in. I am delighted that through our long term partnership with the Energy Coast UTC we have been able to do this.
Watching students grow and develop through the employer engagement programmes we support is wonderful to see. Being able to offer potential employment through our apprenticeship programme is extremely rewarding.”
Cherry Tingle, Principal at the Energy Coast University Technical College said: “The UTC is committed to providing distinctive, innovative and technically focused education to their students to help them prepare for the future. Morgan Sindall Infrastructure’s support in terms of the time their employees provide, the opportunities they give students through the employer engagement programmes and their financial donations helps us to offer and deliver learning experiences for our students that relate to the working world.
The support Morgan Sindall has provided the UTC since it opened has been invaluable and we look forward to further strengthening our relationship as part of the platinum partnership.”