(a)

a consortium of Plymouth University, City College Plymouth and Plymouth City Council had developed a vision to promote employer led learning in Plymouth that would be delivered through a University Technical College (UTC);

(b)

the University, who acted as lead sponsors, City College and leading employers formed a limited company in order to make a bid for a UTC based at a Devonport location. They had been supported in this by, amongst others, Babcock Marine, Princess Yachts International, Plymouth Manufacturers Group, Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Plymouth Federation of Small Businesses;

(c)

the Government had announced that Plymouth’s bid for a UTC had been successful and that the Secretary of State hoped that the Plymouth UTC would be opened in 2014, but that there were possibilities of an earlier start in 2013;

(d)

Plymouth University, Plymouth City College and Babcock Marine were developing the governance arrangements for a UTC Academy Trust.  This body would take forward the proposals to form a UTC with a view to signing a formal Funding Agreement with the Secretary of State for Education;

(e)

these partners had proposed the site of the former Parkside School as a suitable location and a feasibility study was currently being developed;

(f)

Partnership for Schools had set out its preferred delivery of the capital investment in the buildings which was for the Council to add this proposal as a follow-on project to the procurement of the Marine Academy Plymouth. This procurement route would be very cost effective for the private sector with reduced procurement costs.  It would also allow a very fast turnaround in development time as the procurement time would be minimal; 

(g)

Partnership for Schools had advised that it was the Government’s preferred route for the Council to act as procurement agent and the University, as main sponsors, and the co-sponsors, had endorsed this as a preferred procurement method;

(h)

theUTC would bring capital investment, in the order of £8m, into the city. This would have an important impact the local economy. It was estimated that as much as 80 per cent of this value would be spent in Plymouth and the demand for skilled trades would also allow the Council to negotiate with the contractor to take on apprentices as part of the proposal.

(1)

formally becomes a co-sponsor of the UTC Plymouth and were very proud to do so;

(2)

becomes the delivery agent for the University Technical College.