The Energy Coast University Technical College has welcomed Morgan Sindall Infrastructure as a platinum partner.

The partnership will see the company commit to dedicating around 40 hours a year to helping the UTC at Lillyhall.

This could involve giving talks to students about apprenticeships, giving assemblies about the organisation and the work environment, delivering workshops and supporting events.

The company has been involved with the UTC since it opened in September 2014.

It has provided governing support, helped the school develop and run employer engagement programmes and provided financial donations.

It has also offered work experience placement, helped with events and sponsored students’ uniform.

Students from the school have also gone on to employment with the firm, including Lauren Moore, who is studying for an electrotechnical apprenticeship with the company.

Most recently, the company donated £50,000 to enable the UTC to invest in equipment such as laptops and further teaching provisions for its students, who are aged between 14 and 19.

Charlie Minshaw, another ex student, is currently being sponsored by the company through the Institute of Civil Engineers QUEST scheme to complete his masters degree in civil engineering at Newcastle University.

Simon Smith, Morgan Sindall Infrastructure’s managing director, said: “We are committed to being a responsible and inclusive business and one of the key elements of this is enhancing the communities that we work in. I am delighted that through our long term partnership with the Energy Coast UTC we have been able to do this.

“Watching students grow and develop through the employer engagement programmes we support is wonderful to see. Being able to offer potential employment through our apprenticeship programme is extremely rewarding.”

Principal Cherry Tingle said: “The UTC is committed to providing distinctive, innovative and technically-focused education to their students to help them prepare for the future.

“Morgan Sindall Infrastructure’s support in terms of the time their employees provide, the opportunities they give students through the employer engagement programmes and their financial donations helps us to offer and deliver learning experiences for our students that relate to the working world.

“The support Morgan Sindall has provided the UTC since it opened has been invaluable and we look forward to further strengthening our relationship as part of the platinum partnership.”