House of Lords dignitary, The Rt Hon. Lord Kenneth Baker, will be making a special guest appearance at Data Centre World London on Wednesday 6th March to officially open a VIP Zone dedicated to students of the world’s first digital infrastructure focused curriculum. 

The VIP Student Zone at Data Centre World is being hosted by ALET UTCs & Partners – an industry/education collaboration of four University Technical Colleges (UTCs) under the Activate Learning Education Trust (ALET) umbrella, and employers from the digital infrastructure sector working together to deliver an award-winning curriculum, which Lord Baker has supported since inception.  

Lord Baker is passionate about bridging the gap between the world of education and the world of work, having driven the creation of UTCs with Lord Dearing, and together, co-founding the Baker Dearing Educational Trust in 2009. The Trust is a charitable organisation which is responsible for 44 government-funded, STEM-focused UTCs across the country, educating c.20,000 students, and supported by more than 400 employers and universities. 

Together, ALET UTCs & Partners have designed, launched and continue to deliver the Digital Futures Programme, a curriculum that educates young people in the specialist knowledge needed to forge successful careers in the digital infrastructure industry, incorporating the data centre and network infrastructure sectors.  

With the combined goal of addressing the digital infrastructure industry’s ongoing talent shortage, ALET UTCs & Partners are setting aside industry competition to work in collaboration to tackle the talent shortage for good. Industry partners who support all ALET UTCs as Trust Partners, and who help to deliver the Digital Futures Programme, are: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Ark Data Centres, CBRE, CNet Training, CyrusOne, Digital Realty, LMG, Virtus Data Centres, Yondr Group. 

Lord Baker’s distinguished 39-year career as an MP included time as Secretary of State for the Home Department, Secretary of State for Education, and Secretary of State for the Environment. He has been a prominent figure in the UK’s education provision, having introduced the National Curriculum through the 1988 Education Act, and he continues to make parliamentary contributions regarding education, youth unemployment and apprenticeships.  

Lord Baker comments, “The Digital Futures Programme is offering hundreds of young students a skills pipeline to become experts in the digital infrastructure industry – a life-changing opportunity. It is just the programme that ought to be available on a much larger scale in Britain. I am very glad to see it being extended to further UTCs for the benefit of even more young people.”  

ALET UTCs & Partners are delighted to extend an open invitation to the official opening of the ALET UTCs & Partners VIP Student Zone by Lord Baker, stand D1120, 9.30am Wednesday 6th March. The VIP Student Zone will be open to everyone to drop in for a break, enjoy a coffee or have a chat with the students to learn first-hand how the initiative is changing young peoples’ futures. The Zone will be a hive of activity throughout the event, as ALET UTC students engage and learn with the industry leading exhibitors and take on challenges across the two days, aided by their Trust Partner mentors. Come along to see how ALET UTCs and the industry partners are working together to tackle the talent shortage for good and find out how you can be involved in this amazing initiative. 

ENDS 

 

About ALET UTCs & Partners 

Together, ALET UTCs & Partners combine to help attract new talent to the digital infrastructure industry, establishing a stronger and more diverse sector, with opportunities for businesses and individuals to thrive and support the wider society. The initiative is helping shape the future workforce with 150 students graduating from each UTC per year who are work-ready and armed with the essential awareness and understanding required to succeed in careers in the digital infrastructure industry.  

ALET UTCs provide high-quality education that encourages lifelong learning by empowering students with transferrable engineering skills to become responsible engineers to meet the needs of the digital infrastructure industry, today and tomorrow.  

 At every stage of the evolution of this initiative, ALET and its supporting industry partners have strived to create a welcoming, supportive environment for students from all backgrounds, that promotes learning, builds confidence, and equips young people with the industry knowledge they need to pursue rewarding careers within the digital infrastructure industry.    

  

About Baker Dearing 

The Baker Dearing Educational Trust supports University Technical Colleges (UTCs) to deliver a high-quality, industry-focused curriculum to students. Established in 2009, the trust sits at the centre of the UTC network and is uniquely placed to provide co-ordinated support to, and advocacy for, UTCs, as well as communications both within the network and to a broader audience.  

The Baker Dearing Educational Trust’s mission is to provide all young people with a relevant, career-focused education in a fast-changing world and, in doing so, to provide employers with the skilled workforce needed for UK industry to thrive. 

 
About University Technical Colleges  

University Technical Colleges (UTCs) are government-funded schools with a STEM focus. They provide a unique and relevant approach to education which addresses the changing needs of students and employers in the 21st Century. Established by companies and universities in areas of high demand for talent, UTCs provide sought-after technical qualifications and benefit from industry standard equipment and specialist staff to provide students with the skills valued by employers.