TWO Warrington UTC alumni were present to receive their prestigious Gold Baker Awards in recognition of the commitment to excellence of students who have completed their technical education degrees.
Former Warrington UTC students Saarah and Ethan, both of whom have now secured apprenticeships in the nuclear sector, were presented their awards by the co-founder of the Baker Dearing Trust, Lord Kenneth Baker at the annual Baker Dearing Tea Party held in the Palace of Westminster.
On hand to congratulate them was Warrington South’s Member of Parliament, Andy Carter, who spoke with Saarah and Ethan about their studies at Warrington UTC and their current work as apprentices, which was then followed by a private tour of the Houses of Parliament.
Saarah is currently completing a Mechanical Design Apprenticeship at Sellafield Ltd, and has credited Warrington UTC’s learning environment and its level of engagement with employers such as Sellafield as a major contributing factor to her success. Ethan has progressed to a Mechanical Design Apprenticeship with Cavendish Nuclear, and attributes his current position to the UTC for their high levels of employer engagement and the ability of its students to integrate themselves within industry standards and learn behaviours that are desired by employers.
Mr commented: “I’m absolutely thrilled to have been able to join Saarah and Ethan as they accepted their awards from Lord Baker himself. Speaking with them about the courses they took at Warrington UTC and their respective apprenticeships at Sellafield and Cavendish, it’s evident they have such an appreciation for the opportunities that technical education gave them.
“Technical education offers a fantastic hands-on approach to learning and, as we can see from the success of former students like Saarah and Ethan, a route into first-class apprenticeships and employment in ever-growing sectors like nuclear. My congratulations to both of them on their hard-earned achievements.
“As I’ve said before, it’s so important that young people are aware of all the opportunities that are available to them once they leave school. It’s great that we’ve seen a big rise in the number of apprentices over the last decade, with well over half a million people currently participating in one this year alone.”
