Reach for the stars at South Devon UTC’s next Open Evening  

News Desk
Authored by News Desk
Posted Thursday, September 26, 2019 - 10:04am

Celebrating World Space Week in style (4-10 Oct), South Devon University Technical College (South Devon UTC) is inviting prospective students to explore the galaxies at its special space-themed Open Evening.   

Prospective students who have a flair for science, engineering, technology and the environment are invited to South Devon UTC’s Open Evening on Tuesday 8th October, 5pm-7pm. Throughout the evening, visitors can take part in a range of interactive space themed activities as they make their way through five “zones”, including a multi-sensory, 360-degree experience in a huge dome provided by Space Odyssey. 

Upon entering the 7.5m dome, visitors will be whisked away to another galaxy with the help of sophisticated computer simulations. The fascinating presentation will be led by Simon Ould, an experienced science teacher and Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society. Simon will help explorers understand the complexities of our solar system in an immersive 360-degree setting. 

Prospective Sixth Form and Year 10 students looking to start at the college in September 2020 will also have the opportunity to talk to current students, staff members and employer partners. 

The pioneering college on Kingsteignton Road, with its state-of-the-art facilities, offers an innovative model of learning for students that provides professional academic and technical education aimed to ‘develop a new generation of engineers, scientists and environmentalists’. Unlike many other colleges, South Devon UTC have a higher proportion of their students studying triple science compared to the national average. 

The curriculum also includes all year-round work experience opportunities and employability skills development. This is a key focus for students at South Devon UTC which results in an extremely high success rate for students achieving their further destination placements in higher level apprenticeships with local employers, University or with the Armed Forces. 

The college has recently celebrated a set of impressive exam results. In summer 2019, 100% of post-16 Scientists achieved at least one distinction star in their BTEC Applied Science with 80% of these achieving the highest qualification of triple distinction star. Furthermore, 71% of Engineering students achieved at least one distinction star with over two thirds of those achieving either two or three distinction stars, the highest grade in these qualifications. 

Claire Plumb, Principal of South Devon UTC, said: “We are delighted to announce that our next Open Evening will be space themed to celebrate World Space Week. We’re excited to host Space Odyssey at the college who will be bringing along one of their large interactive domes. Visitors can be whisked away to a galaxy far beyond our own and learn all about the world of space from expert Simon Ould.” 

Claire continued: “I look forward to welcoming parents and prospective students on Tuesday 8th October. It’s a great opportunity for visitors to find out more about what we do, our innovative approach to learning and how young people can carve a career for themselves in STEM. We are unique in that we can provide so many opportunities for our students to experience an employer-driven curriculum. We are very proud of the destinations that our 2019 graduates have secured which include the Royal Navy, Centrax, MB Aerospace, the Environment Agency and South West Water. We look forward to so many more excellent outcomes and encourage all young people to join us on their journey to skilful and capable technical careers.”  

South Devon UTC is currently recruiting students for the 2020/21 academic year. Young people with a flair for science, engineering, technology and the environment due to start Y10 or Y12 in September 2020 should contact the college as soon as possible for more information. The South Devon UTC Open Evening takes place on Tuesday 8th October, between 5pm-7pm; register your interest to attend the event by calling 01626 240201 or visit https://southdevonutc.org/open-evenings/

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