Harlow MP welcomes council support for University Technical College bid

HARLOW MP Robert Halfon has welcomed a groundswell of new support for his campaign to bring a University Technical College to the town.

The Conservative backbencher has been working closely with Harlow College to prepare an application to set up a UTC on the Velizy Avenue site and this week Harlow Council added its name to the list of supporters backing the bid.

"If we get this it would transform the lives of young Harlow people," Mr Halfon told the Star this week.

The bid is due to be submitted today (Wednesday, June 1). If successful, the UTC would offer students aged 14-19 qualifications ranging from apprenticeships to vocational training in subjects including plumbing, health science, journalism, engineering and construction.

It could be up and running by September 2013.

Mr Halfon added: "I have done this because I am passionate about giving young people opportunities and skills and helping them to get good jobs.

"I am also passionate about social justice, and a University Technical College together

with a growth in apprenticeships will help achieve this."

Council leader Andrew Johnson said the project would also give Harlow’s economy a significant boost, with local employers benefiting from new investment and the pick of a pool of highly-skilled new graduates eager to take their first steps in the world of work.

"Harlow’s educational credentials are becoming stronger all the time with improving results and a new university building taking shape," he said.

"The UTC will make the town even more attractive to employers, as Harlow will be able to offer a pool of students with high quality technical skills absolutely right for the jobs market.

"It will make us a significant location for students not just from Harlow but also Hertfordshire and further afield and repre¬sent a multi-million pound investment in the town."