A LEADING North East training provider has backed a Government-led multi million pound engineering apprenticeship scheme.
Charl Erasmus, chief executive at Newton Aycliffe based SW Durham Training (SWDT), a 45-year old company that delivers engineering and manufacturing apprenticeships and training support, has welcomed a new Government initiative, which aims to encourage young people to sign up to engineering apprenticeships.
Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced the Government’s commitment to ensuring more people can access quality on-the-job training programmes to gain a recognised academic qualification and help to rebuild the economy. The initiative, created by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the Institute of Civil Engineers and the Institution of Engineering and Technology and backed by £10m from the Gatsby Foundation, should create 100,000 engineering jobs across the country by 2018.
Charl Erasmus, who was appointed as chief executive of SWDT at the end of last year, has regularly championed apprenticeships and urged the Government to put forward extra funding and local expertise to meet the growing demand of industry sectors with skill shortages in the area.
He said: “As an industry, we’re passionate about bridging the youth unemployment gap, and we’re in a good position to see what sort of trends are coming down the track but this can only be viable through a localisation strategy, working side by side one another to reintroduce the younger generation into what we hope to be a longstanding industry in the North East.
“I am pleased the Government realises the importance of keeping British engineering alive, the provision of high quality training schemes is vital to youth employment and central to economic recovery for this part of the world in particular. The initiative will seek to create a generation of highly skilled, engineering experts and that’s something that can only be good news for businesses in the North East.”
Manufacturing and engineering in the North East has enjoyed a significant boost, with Sunderland based business Nissan recently adding to its team and Nifco planning further expansion that will see it employ close to 500 people.
SWDT currently works with more than 1,000 people each year, including staff at Nifco among other leading manufacturing businesses. Mr Erasmus hopes that the Government scheme will encourage even more young people to take up a career in the industry.
He added: “The Government focus on apprenticeship schemes will go a long way to help the manufacturing and engineering sectors, where there is no shortage of well-paid roles, but not enough fresh talent coming through.
“It is great to see an improved outlook in manufacturing and engineering, this kind of investment is an encouraging sign for the future of these vital sectors.”
For more information about courses at South West Durham Training Ltd, visit www.southwestdurham.co.uk or call 313 194.
Charl Erasmus
