University technical colleges will lead to two-tier system

Commenting ahead of the government's expected response to the Wolf review of vocational learning, the union said more UTCs would divert vital funding from existing schools and colleges at a time when they are facing huge budget cuts.
 
Further education and adult learning funding is being slashed by 25% over the next three years and UCU pointed to the fact that UTCs have very high start up costs. Aston University Technical College alone cost over £17m to set up.
 
UCU warned that an increase in UTCs could lead to students, predominantly from working-class backgrounds, being channelled into cheap vocational subjects, while richer pupils studied in schools or on high-tech courses only available in UTCs.
 
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'I fear that more UTCs could lead to selection by the back door and a system where students, typically from working-class backgrounds, are channelled into vocational subjects in relatively under-resourced colleges. There is a real risk that we further damage social mobility as wealthier contemporaries are encouraged to pursue traditional academic routes in school or on high-tech courses only available in UTCs.
 
'In order to improve standards across the board we need all institutions to be well-funded and capable of delivering high-quality education.'