DIGITAL FUTURES PROGRAMME
Help shape the future of your workforce
The Digital Futures Programme has been created to help students develop the skills and knowledge needed to prepare for a career in the digital industries. On this programme students learn transferable engineering and IT skills that put them ahead of the competition when they are applying for jobs in these sectors. Employers working on the programme have found it to be hugely rewarding, both in terms of wellbeing, professional development and even recruiting apprentices.
what the programme is about
Students in our UTCs choose to focus their education in STEM subjects including engineering, digital and science specialisms from either year 10 (GCSEs) or year 12 (Sixth Form). They choose which specialism they wish to follow alongside key curriculum subjects in year 10, and can focus wholly on them in year 12 by taking a BTEC course which is equivalent to three A Levels.
The Digital Futures Programme embeds employers in school life by involving them in delivering lessons, workshops, trips and work placements and designing modules within the qualifications that best fit local industries.
how employers get involved
Staff commit 30 days per year to spend in school or with students delivering:
- Projects
- Masterclasses
- Challenge days
- Employability skills lessons and workshops
- Work placements (on site)
examples and case studies
Project
BTEC Engineering students visited CyrusOne, seeing in practice engineering solutions they had worked on in school
Masterclass
Students got an insight into the world of quantity surveying with this masterclass from Soben
Challenge day
Year 10 students spent the day creating a virtual data centre, learning vital engineering and teamwork skills with all our Digital Futures Programme employer partners
Employability skill
VIRTUS led students in a variety of challenges designed to give them insights into the practical applications of teamwork in the professional world
Case studies
- Data centre LMG recruited three UTC Heathrow students in summer 2023 to their degree apprenticeship programme. Read their stories here (click here)
- Team Building Day – problem solving and white water rafting with Kao Data
- Data Centre Tours – CyrusOne, Kao Data
- DCW 2023 incl. award
- Data Cloud Awards, 2022, 2023
Our Trust Partners
