Skills Minister launches £30 million fund to help plug skills gap
Skills Minister Matthew Hancock used a visit to the Black Country to launch a £30 million new programme aimed at getting young people - particularly women - into engineering.
The Minister was at the RSA Academy in Tipton for the launch of the Black Country's Manufacture Your Future careers guidance programme.
And he even took time to try his hand at the QuadRun app, an interactive iPad game developed in the Black Country to get young people using engineering skills.
The game, which involves piloting a quad-copter around office blocks, uses technology called 'augmented reality' and also includes information on career paths into engineering.
The Manufacture Your Future programme was tested out by young people at the RSA Academy. Part of its aim is to improve the image of engineering among pupils, parents, teachers and careers advisors. It has been put together by the Black Country Skills Factory, the local organisation set up to tackle the skills gap problems faced by high-value manufacturing companies in the region.
Matthew Hancock said: "With figures showing more jobs, growth and higher pay in manufacturing reported this week, there is no better time to begin a career in the sector. Initiatives such as Manufacture your Future and the QuadRun app help to demonstrate to young people the vast range of pathways to employment available and where it could lead them.
"It's great to see the Black Country Skills Factory leading on this in the area and highlighting the importance of careers advice to address potential manufacturing skills shortages and give more young people the chance to reach their potential."
Mr Hancock also chose the event to announced a new £30 million fund to increase the number of young engineers - and in particular to encourage more women into the sector.
It also aims to address engineering skills shortages in smaller companies.The fund will enable engineering companies to establish training programmes to develop future engineers and boost the number of women in the profession.
Matthew Hancock said: "By supporting employers to develop the workforce of the future and bring more women into the engineering, we're empowering the industry to unlock its potential."
