PRESS RELEASE
Release immediate
June 23rd, 2015
MTC ENGINEERS LAUNCH WOMEN IN ENGINEERING INITIATIVE
A group of engineers at Warwickshire’s Manufacturing Technology Centre
(MTC) at Ansty Park is on a mission to encourage more women to enter the
profession.
To celebrate National Women in Engineering Day (Tuesday 23rd June), the
taskforce of 10 hosted a special lunch at the MTC to present their campaign
proposal to work closely with schools, universities, colleges and science clubs
in a series of activities to encourage more girls into engineering. Talks, tours,
visits and work experience days will also give an insight into careers at the
MTC for women who have – or are about to graduate in engineering.
The female engineers are all based at the MTC. The group has devised a
range of fun and challenging projects to take to schools, clubs, colleges and
universities. Timing their activities to coincide with national curriculum targets,
subject and career choices and annual engineering society events, each
activity demonstrates the wide range of skills and attributes of budding
engineers.
“Engineering skills are vital to our economy because they enable new
technologies and processes to be constantly investigated and adopted by
industry,” said Dr Maria Felice, research engineer in metrology and NDT at
the MTC.
“With the current engineering skills shortage in this country, we decided that
National Women in Engineering Day would be the ideal time to celebrate
women engineers at the MTC and to launch our mission to encourage more
girls and women to join us.”
With women accounting for just 8.7% of professional engineers in the UK 1,
attracting females into the field of engineering has traditionally been a major
challenge for British industry. The MTC has always been proactive in
recruiting women. The centre has a higher than average percentage of female
engineers across the business, as well as female apprentices and graduate
trainees.
Georgina Oag, a final 4th year apprentice at the MTC is a great illustration of
this. Georgina had secured a university place to study accounting and
finance, but the promise of a career in manufacturing at the MTC held greater
appeal. She signed up to the MTC’s fast-growing advanced engineering
apprenticeship scheme and now plans a long term career in engineering.
Georgina said: “It’s amazing to work in such a unique research and
development environment. Each day is different and there are real
opportunities to work on exciting projects. I was given responsibility in a
genuine business environment from day one, so I feel like I make a valuable
contribution to the organisation and I’m a key part of the team.”
“Engineering is a dynamic career that covers so many disciplines,” added Dr
Felice. “It can open up great opportunities in a wide range of fields and be
hugely rewarding. There aren’t many jobs where you can be involved in the
discovery of ground-breaking innovations that tackle environmental, health
and social challenges, whilst contributing to the economy.”
The Women 4 Women group will also be hosting visits and organising work
experience opportunities at the MTC, so visitors can see for themselves what
a day in the life of an engineer can involve.
“It’s so important that teachers, parents and careers advisors also understand
the diverse range of skills used in engineering and the prospects for those
with them. Giving them the chance to see engineering in action will help to
inform their guidance,” said Dr Felice.
The MTC is looking to recruit 40 new apprentices to start in September. The
new intake will be the first cohort to train in the MTC’s purpose-built training
centre.
Developed by the MTC and inspired by the apprentice schools of highly
respected large industrial companies, the £36million academy will be a hub of
the National College for Advanced Manufacturing. As manufacturing
technology advances, the centre will develop the abilities and knowledge
required to strengthen the skills supply chain and meet the challenges faced
by the sector.
Students will have unrivalled access to gain experience from the 80+
members of the MTC, home to some of the most exciting research into
advanced manufacturing methods and processes being undertaken anywhere
in the world.
Applications are invited now as places are quickly filling up.
Anyone interested in joining the MTC’s 2015 apprentice intake should visit
www.the-mtc.org/apprenticeships and complete the application form.
Any manufacturing organisation that would benefit from having a highly
trained MTC apprentice within their business should contact Dan Pearson
dan.pearson@the-mtc.org to find out how they can access the MTC’s
apprenticeship service.
– ENDS –
Further information - MTC: Sarah Turner, Manufacturing Technology
Centre, tel 02476 701687
www.the-mtc.org
Issued on behalf of the Manufacturing Technology Centre by Jane
Duncan: 07814 033384
Sources:
1. Research from trade body, EngineeringUK
About the MTC
The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) has been established to prove
innovative manufacturing processes and technologies in an agile environment
in partnership with industry, academia and other institutions. The MTC
houses some of the most advanced manufacturing equipment in the world,
creating a high quality environment for the development and demonstration of
new technologies on an industrial scale. This provides a unique opportunity
for manufacturers to develop new and innovative processes and technologies.
The areas of MTC’s expertise are appropriate to both large and small
companies and are applicable across varied industry sectors. The MTC’s
members include global manufacturing companies from multiple sectors.
Research partners include the University of Birmingham, University of
Nottingham, Loughborough University and TWI Ltd.
The £36m advanced manufacturing training centre was constructed as part of
a major expansion of the MTC campus and is due to open in September
2015. Funding of £18 million from the Department of Business, Innovation and
Skills (BIS) was matched by a further £18 million of industry support to the
programme.
The training centre aims to redress the manufacturing high-level skills gaps
inhibiting the high value manufacturing (HVM) sector and to develop the skills
that are needed for delivering the technologies of the future.
The advanced manufacturing training facilities at the MTC will be part of the
National College for Advanced Manufacturing, enabling young people to gain
professional qualifications up to postgraduate level, with training that matches
the best in the world.
The MTC is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult which is supported
by Innovate UK (formerly the Technology Strategy Board).
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