Education
Baker Dearing Educational Trust
We shifted the media narrative on UTCs from closures to growth — landing Lord Baker on Times Radio and driving positive coverage across The Daily Telegraph, FE Week and Schools Week.
The national developer and promoter of 44 University Technical Colleges across England, delivering employer-led technical education to over 19,000 students aged 14–19.
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The brief
Bridgehead was appointed to raise awareness of the progress made by the UTC network, promote new delivery models including UTC Sleeves, and counter a persistent media narrative focused on historic closures — while showcasing the value UTCs offer to employers, universities and students.
What they needed
Improve sector perception of UTCs following historic coverage focused on closures.
Highlight improvements in enrolment and Ofsted ratings across the network.
Promote the UTC Sleeve model and landmark NHS partnership.
Provide crisis and reputation management support where required.
The approach
A proactive media and stakeholder engagement programme — leading with concrete initiatives and timed to key moments in the education calendar to shift narrative from closures to growth.
Lord Baker on Times Radio
We secured a Times Radio speaking opportunity for Lord Baker, positioning BDET's leadership as an authoritative voice on technical education at the highest media level.
Initiative-led news hooks
Press materials around UTC Sleeves and the NHS partnership (30,000 digital health professionals by 2030) gave journalists concrete, forward-looking stories — shifting the narrative from closures to national ambition.
Crisis communications
We managed all communications surrounding the Watford UTC closure — drafting messages to students, staff and parents and handling media enquiries — ensuring consistent, sensitive messaging during a difficult period.
The results
pieces of coverage
readers reached
social shares
Coverage over time
Coverage tracked key sector moments including the UTC Sleeve announcement, NHS partnership and Watford UTC closure communications (representative split; 47 pieces).
The coverage
1M+ weekly listeners
Education
Lord Baker on why University Technical Colleges are the answer to the skills gap
Times Radio
80k+ specialist readers
Policy
UTCs group seeks millions from DfE for Sleeves model in mainstream schools
FE Week
50k+ sector readers
Education
Pre-16 technical education pathways: UTCs make the case
Schools Week
The shift
From closure stories to growth headlines — a narrative reset across national and sector press.
By leading with concrete initiatives and securing the head of the network on Times Radio, we gave journalists a positive story to tell about UTCs. FE Week coverage changed in tone, and The Daily Telegraph ran the network's ambitions as a national education story.
Seen in
The impact
Improved awareness of progress across the UTC network in sector and national media.
Lord Baker placed on Times Radio reaching 1M+ weekly listeners.
Positive FE Week coverage marking a notable shift from the sector's prior closure narrative.
NHS partnership story elevated UTCs as an answer to healthcare workforce challenges.
The outcome
47 pieces and a measurable narrative shift — from UTCs as a story about closures to UTCs as the answer to Britain's skills crisis.
