Education Minister Daphne Caine has moved to reassure that the proposed relocation of Hills Meadow Engineering facility will not result in a diminished curriculum or scrapping of qualifications.
It is being proposed to move the engineering site to the William Kennish building, the former Water building at UCM.
In written answers published this week, Mrs Caine confirmed that there are “no plans to replace City & Guilds practical qualifications with BTEC equivalents as a direct result of this relocation”.
She added: “The relocation will not reduce the Engineering curriculum. Instead, it supports delivery of a refreshed curriculum, which incorporates enhanced integration of maths, IT and theory alongside practical learning and is better suited to the facilities and support available at the William Kennish campus.”
The minister stressed that “qualification choices remain aligned with employer feedback, sector expectations, and student progression routes, ensuring continued attractiveness to both learners and employers”.
The responses follow two separate questions from Douglas North MHK John Wannenburgh, who had sought clarity on both the curriculum implications and the level of staff consultation.
Staff
Mrs Caine added that “engineering staff were engaged in the review of curriculum and resources” and that “ongoing engagement has taken place regarding the operational challenges of the dual-campus model, including travel between sites, utilisation of specialist facilities, and student experience”.
She added: “Stakeholder feedback, including the views of staff, employers and relevant government departments, has been considered in both the curriculum design and the relocation decision.”
Concerns had been raised about the future of staff based at Hills Meadow, but the minister clarified that “the relocation does not affect employment status, with the primary change being their base location” and with all staff already working at least part of their time at UCM’s Homefield Road or William Kennish sites”.