Ross Moloney, chief executive officer of LEEA, says that finding the next generation of engineers is one of the “most pressing concerns” in industry, “so the association is taking vital action to help create a sustainable workforce”.
LEEA will provide members who wish to get involved in the scheme with free training to give those volunteering the required knowledge to access local schools and become comfortable in that environment.
The association will also equip them with a free suite of tools including ‘experiments’ to provide demonstrations and also to allow pupils themselves to get involved in solving problems. There will also be videos introducing students to lifting industry occupation opportunities.
LEEA says that students sparked with interest will have a pathway into the sector via a new apprenticeship, which is currently being developed through the Trailblazer Working Group.
Moloney concludes: “We want school children to understand how being an engineer is a skilled, attractive and varied occupation, where they can find themselves on-site doing a multitude of tasks. We want them to see the apprenticeship as the gateway to working with a combination of new designs, new development, concepts, new materials, defined approaches in accordance with regulations and legislation. Our industry has been hidden away for too long, it is time to bring it into the classroom.”
Anyone interested in getting involved with the Think Lifting programme should contact: mail@leeaint.com. Non-LEEA members are also welcome to get involved, though training and tools will be charged.