Hull’s employer-led school, Ron Dearing UTC, is celebrating a decade of working closely with many of the region’s leading businesses.

2025 marks 10 years since a UTC in Hull was given the green light by the then Chancellor George Osborne. Since then, the school and its Employer Partners have equipped many hundreds of young people with the skills they need to thrive in the world of work.

The anniversary was marked at an employer breakfast event, when school staff and representatives from the partner companies and organisations celebrated the UTC’s successes, including recently retaining its Ofsted Outstanding status.

The idea of an employer-led school in the city was the brainchild of then MP for Hull West and Hessle, Alan Johnson, who is now Ron Dearing UTC’s Patron, and the project was driven forward by business leaders, including Charlie Spencer OBE, Executive Chairman of Hull-based engineering company Spencer Group, and Finbarr Dowling, who was then Project Director for Siemens Gamesa in Hull.

Following the Government’s approval of a UTC for Hull in 2015, the school opened its doors in September 2017 and has since welcomed over 2,000 students.

The school offers students a unique way to learn, giving them the edge in the competition for in-demand apprenticeships and university places. Since the school opened, 60% of students have gone on to university, while 40% have secured apprenticeships – 80% of these in the school’s priority sectors, including engineering, digital technology and creative digital.

Ron Dearing UTC now has more than 60 Employer Partners who work alongside the school’s experienced teaching staff to equip students with the skills, qualifications and maturity required by leading businesses and vital to supporting the growth of the region’s economy.

The Employer Partners are led by Founding Partners KCOM, Reckitt, Siemens Gamesa, Smith+Nephew and Spencer Group who, together with lead education partner, the University of Hull, have worked closely with the school from day one.

Over the past 18 months alone, the UTC has welcomed 14 new Employer Partners from both the private and public sectors, such as BAE Systems, Associated British Ports, Centrica, East Riding of Yorkshire Council and Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Employer Partners play an integral part in helping students grow into well-rounded young people equipped with the knowledge, professional qualities and confidence to succeed in their next steps.

They contribute to curriculum development and decisions about qualifications, as well as participating in the design and delivery of project-based learning. They also provide internship and work placement opportunities for students, and information, advice and guidance about career opportunities within their sector.

Employer Partners benefit from access to future employees who are work-ready and equipped with the qualifications and skills the business needs. They also enjoy increased brand visibility, support with developing apprenticeship programmes, opportunities to advertise job vacancies and networking with other school partners.

Ron Dearing UTC recently deepened the relationship by launching a new reporting tool to provide Employer Partners with a detailed breakdown of their work with the school and the social value this delivers.

Senior Assistant Principal Glenn Jenson said: “It has been a pleasure to work closely with some of the biggest businesses in our region to provide Hull’s young people with a unique learning environment that equips them with the skills and tools they need to thrive in employment.

“Over the past 10 years we’ve developed a curriculum that combines exciting and relevant qualifications with project-based learning and high-value workplace experiences to really set them apart.

“We continue to bring on board even more partners, to provide our students with a broad and rich insight into the key industries in our region, and we’re excited to see what the next 10 years brings.”

Charlie Spencer OBE, Founding Chair of Governors of Ron Dearing UTC and Executive Chairman of Founding Partner Spencer Group, said: “2025 marks the 10th anniversary of Government approval for Ron Dearing UTC and it’s been an amazing journey over the past decade.

“The school has been an absolutely outstanding success, delivering on its objective to produce young people with the skills, qualifications, maturity and aptitude to thrive in the world of work.

“Critical to that success has been the role of the Employer Partners, who support the school through additional funding, curriculum design and delivery, mentorship, student projects and apprenticeships. Ron Dearing is truly an employer-led school.

“It’s exciting that Ron Dearing UTC now has so many Employer Partners, including leading businesses in sectors vital to the region’s growth and prosperity. Those employers are helping the school go from strength to strength and enabling hundreds of young people to get the edge in the competition for exciting apprenticeships and university places.”

Hull’s employer-led school, Ron Dearing UTC, has teamed up with one of the city’s leading businesses to empower the next generation of women as they prepare to take their first steps into the world of work.

The school has joined forces with the UK’s leading safety products and services business, Arco, to deliver a new female mentorship programme – Empower Women Now.

The initiative aims to support the success of young females who are looking to forge a career in sectors such as STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) that are largely male-dominated.

By connecting women professionals from Arco, who are already operating in these fields, with female students from Ron Dearing UTC, the programme aims to support personal growth and assist the students in developing skills and working towards their career goals.

Hull-based Arco is a Major Partner of the UTC and Arco Non-executive Director, Richard Martin, is Chair of the school’s Governing Board. Arco team members regularly participate in careers workshops and sessions at the school. The new programme takes the partnership a step further and deepens the company’s commitment to supporting young people in its home city.

The programme was inspired after Arco Employee Experience Coordinator, Sarah Jones, met with a focus group of Ron Dearing UTC students to learn more about what young women feel will be their biggest challenges when pursuing a career in a STEM field.

Sarah revealed: “The common concern from the students was clear – ‘how do we know STEM careers are achievable if we don’t see women where we want to be?’

“Seeing is believing and it was apparent that female students are desperate to see women in established careers in STEM-based roles.

“It’s clear that there is much more that needs to happen to encourage females into the STEM sector and into leadership positions. Women have a responsibility to make themselves more visible and keep the passion ignited in the younger female generation, to encourage them to pursue their goals.

“To accelerate action and continue our dialogue to support the female student population at Ron Dearing, we decided to launch a woman-to-woman mentorship programme, and we were delighted to see so many of our Arco colleagues come forward to volunteer their time to help the next generation.”

As part of the programme, students have been partnered with a mentor from Arco who they meet with weekly for one-to-one sessions, providing them with a safe space to ask questions, seek advice and gain insights into working in STEM.

Throughout the programme, the pairs have been guided on suggested topics, such as personal development, preparing for interviews and writing job applications, while also being encouraged to set their own agendas and explore topics which are of most benefit to each individual student.

Students taking part in the programme are currently in Year 12 at the school and are primarily studying STEM subjects or have an interest in pursuing a career in a STEM-related field.

Aspiring accountant Katie Elder, 17, is among those taking part in the programme.

She said: “The mentor programme has really helped me to develop my employability skills. We’ve worked on interview practice and problem solving, and I’ve started to think about my next steps.

“Speaking to someone who is in an industry that I aspire to work in has been really inspirational and has shown me that my goals are achievable.”

Hollie Haeney, Arco’s Director of Finance and Accounting, is one of the programme mentors. She said: “I’ve spent the majority of my working life in finance being the only women in the room, so I feel very strongly about empowering young women in fields where they are often under-represented.

“With over 30 years of industry experience, I want to share some of the things that have helped me over the years, as well as to help young women find their voice and confidence to enable them to accelerate in their career.”

The mentor programme is just one of the many ways Ron Dearing UTC empowers its students and prepares them for their next steps after school.

The UTC works closely with many of the region’s leading employers as well as its lead education partner, the University of Hull, to provide a unique curriculum, additional opportunities and enrichment, to help students develop into well-rounded young people who are equipped to achieve their goals.

Ron Dearing UTC Assistant Principal Lisa Regan said: “This invaluable programme is all about connecting our young women with inspiring professionals from Arco, offering crucial guidance that equips them with essential skills for navigating any professional environment.

“Our students have embraced the challenge, proactively setting up their meetings, managing agendas and mastering professional conduct.

Richard Martin, Chair of the Governing Board and Non-Executive Director of Arco, said: “It’s brilliant to see the UTC students develop such vital workplace skills, building confidence and expanding their knowledge to pursue their ambitions and make a real difference in their chosen fields.

“We’re optimistic this impactful initiative will grow to support even more young women into STEM careers in the years to come.”