UNIVERSITY Technical Colleges like the one in Swindon are under-performing and under-capacity – and almost half do not achieve an Ofsted rating of good or higher.

These are the findings from a new report by the National Audit Office into UTCs around the country. UTC Swindon received an inadequate Ofsted rating in 2017 and has not been re-inspected since.

However, all of this year’s A-level and Btec students passed their exams and 75 per cent of Year 13 graduates in 2018 went on to secure apprenticeships.

Principal Jon Oliver said: "Unfortunately, the report does not consider the programme’s significant value to over 30,000 students who have benefited from a UTC education.

"None of the 400 employers and universities who have backed UTCs from the start and benefit from UTC leavers taking jobs, apprenticeships and university places into hard-to-fill areas of the economy, were approached to provide feedback on this report.

"At UTC Swindon, recruitment for 2019-20 has increased student numbers by 25 per cent compared to the previous year. This is along with increases in other UTCs within the Activate Learning Education Trust.

"When this is considered alongside the continuing 100 per cent success rates in students making positive progression into their career destinations, this has been a highly productive year."

The college launched its new digital specialism and cyber-security course earlier this year.

Of the 58 UTCs that opened since 2010, 10 are now closed and the Education and Funding Skills Agency has expressed “significant concerns” about 13 of those that remain open.

UTCs operated at an average of 45 per cent capacity in January, and the funding they receive is based on their number of students so this could affect their financial viability.

Chairman of the Baker Dearing Educational Trust Lord Baker criticised the report and hailed the education that university technical colleges provide.

He said: “This report records the price of everything and the value of nothing.

"UTCs should be judged by the success of their students becoming apprentices, studying STEM subjects at a university and getting a job as a technician or an engineer.

"For that we have the best destination data of any schools in the country.

"Because of this the department has encouraged us to make applications for new UTCs and we are working with local employers and universities for the next round in November.

"More can be done to increase student numbers at some UTCs but the strong track record of students destinations after leaving all UTCs is proof that the programme is working."

UTC leavers are five times as likely to progress into advanced and higher apprenticeships and almost twice as likely to take STEM courses at university.