MP Robert Halfon has been working closely for many months with Harlow College to prepare a bid to bring a University Technical College to Harlow.  There is a groundswell of local support for this bid.

The organisations to publicly back the bid now include Harlow District Council, Harlow Chamber of Commerce, Essex FSB, the Chartered Institute of Journalists, Pearson UK, a number of local engineering firms and the Joint Contracts Tribunal Ltd.

These local employers have added their weight to the bid, after Mr Halfon also secured the backing of Prime Minister David Cameron and Education Secretary Michael Gove (who has promised to visit Harlow College this autumn to see how the plans are progressing).

The bid is due to be submitted on Wednesday June 1st 2011.

Mr Halfon said: "I have worked very hard on this for over a year helping Harlow College with their plans for a new University Technical College.

"If we get this it would transform the lives of young Harlow people."

He added: "I have done this because I am passionate about giving young people opportunities and skills, and helping them to get good jobs.  I am also passionate about social justice.  A University Technical College together with a growth in apprenticeships will help achieve this. 

"My commitment to young people and apprenticeships is why I employed the first ever MP's apprentice - a local lad from Harlow College called Andy Huckle."

The Harlow University Technical College (UTC) - will be a brand new type of college specialising in high tech subjects such as in engineering and media / journalism.

The UTC would take students aged 14 to 19 and would focus on their preparation for the world of work and higher education and on ensuring they gain the best possible qualifications.

The project, which would be due to open in September 2013, would also bring several million pounds of investment into the town benefiting many small and medium-sized firms.

Harlow Council leader Andrew Johnson said: "Harlow's educational credentials are becoming stronger all the time with improving results and a new university building taking shape.

"The University Technical College will make the town even more attractive to employers, as Harlow will be able to offer a pool of students with high quality technical skills absolutely right for the jobs market.

"It will make us a significant location for students not just from Harlow, but Hertfordshire and further afield and represent a multi-million pound investment in the town.  We are fully behind this exciting bid."

The Government is expected to approve up to 24 UTCs across the country.

The colleges will offer qualifications ranging from apprenticeships to vocational training in subjects like plumbing, health science, journalism, engineering and construction.