After three years of intense planning, consultation and construction, the WMG Academy for Young Engineers has opened its doors to its very first cohort of students.

230 students from across Coventry, Warwickshire and Solihull have joined the WMG Academy in this first year to start in Year 10 and Year 12.

Their new engineering-based education began with a weeks’ induction at the University of Warwick, where they met academics and made use of the University’s extensive facilities and equipment. Learning at the University will become a regular part of the students’ curriculum, working alongside businesses, undergraduate and postgraduate students and academics.

The WMG Academy building is a brand new, bespoke facility, with general and specialist teaching areas, a library, dedicated computer-aided design (CAD) suite as well as hi-spec science learning bases, exhibition space and a large engineering workshop on the ground floor.

Learners at the academy will work together in a variety of group sizes - just as they would in business - on projects set by the employer partners; learning will be applied via these projects, rather than in standard subject classes allowing the actual application of learning in real-world situations.

Business and employability skills sit at the heart of a curriculum which has been purposefully shaped to give all students a range of engineering and standard qualifications. Students can follow a variety of pathways leading to Further or Higher Education, apprenticeships or straight into the workplace.

The school will be holding an Open Day for 2015 admission on Saturday 11^th October, from 11am until 4pm. Anyone interested in going along can access a registration form from the website, http://www.wmgacademy.org.uk

Principal, Mrs Kate Tague said: “We have had tremendous support from the local community, the University of Warwick and our employer partners, all of whom have believed in our vision for embedding technical engineering and business skills within education. Our professional ethos and culture will promote an environment of outstanding achievement and the development of employability skills.

“Our bold approach and close working relationship with local, national and international employer partners has ensured a vibrant and enthusiastic teaching and learning community with the motivation and drive to succeed; we can’t wait to get started!”

Notes for editors:

The school will be holding an Open Day for 2015 admission on Saturday 11^th October, from 11am until 4pm. Anyone interested in going along can access a registration form from the website, http://www.wmgacademy.org.uk

For more information on the WMG Academy for Young Engineers or to arrange an interview please contact Kelly Parkes-Harrison, Senior Press and Communications Manager, Tel: 024 7615 0868, Mob: 07824 540863, k.e.parkes@warwick.ac.uk

1. Employer Partners for the WMG Academy for Young Engineers Coventry include: Jaguar Land Rover, National Grid, SCC, Prodrive, Ricardo, Automotive Insulations, Squires Gears, Dassault Systemes, Tata Motors, Bosch, WMG and The University of Warwick.

2. A second WMG Academy for Young Engineers, based in Solihull, has just been approved by the Department for Education and will open its doors to students in September 2016.