Cambridge University  is to open a University Technical College (UTC) for up to 800 students in partnership with Cambridge Regional College (CRC). Backed by Lord Kenneth Baker's Baker Dearing Educational Trust, it would teach technical skills to school children (between 14 and 19), whilst ensuring those under the age of 16 continued their academic studies for 60 per cent of the day.

It would join the ranks of just two other UTCs around the Britain, although plans for a further 16 have been approved by the Department of Education. Based around the model of a nine to five working day, its aim is, according to Prime Minister David Cameron, "to offer first-class technical skills to those turned off by purely academic study.

With possible sponsorship from pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors of the city, it would specialise in healthcare, health sciences and laboratory science. The college would also work in conjunction with the Deakin Learning Centre, a £6 million Addenbrooke's project that is yet to open. This is in the hope that students might learn skills necessary for NHS healthcare assistants or lab technicians.

As the Principle of CRC, Anne Constantine, has noted - "Cambridge has a massive healthcare sectore and globally recognised bio-medical cluster" who are backing the idea of a UTC. Dr Rebecca Lingwood, director of Cambridge University's Institute of Continuing Education, has elaborated, saying "we are interested in backing it from a point of view of the regional health economy and creating a skilled workforce."

However, Cambridge University has emphasised that this is not an access point into the university. Dr Lingwood commented that "this isn't about Cambridge University taking students coming through into their degree courses." Rather, encouraging them in the direction of the sectors mentioned above: "Employment in these sectors is set to grow considerably over the next 15 years and students at the UTC would be able to go into a range of careers in these fields."

News of the plans has received mixed reactions. Some have expressed concern over the economic viability of UTCs, while Cambridge academic, Dr Paul McHugh has questioned the need for such a project, saying "I would not have thought there was an obvious skills gap in Cambridge because the CRC is so entrepreneurial."

Although with the biomedical campus at Addenbrooke's set to double in size, leading to a demand for skilled youngsters, Tom Woodcock, a Cambridgeshire spokesperson for the National Union of Teachers has criticised the project as too 'skewed to provide for industry and not the students'. However, the move has been supported been openly supported by many.Cambridge University student, Rivkah Brown commented that "it's an encouraging sign that the university is becoming less elitist, and showing interest in vocational skills as well as academia." This though is echoed by Cambridge MP Julian Huppert, saying "for too long we have focused on the idea that degrees are the only thing that should matter. Vocational education and technical skills are incredibley important and should be valued."