Siemens launches UK’s first engineering careers portal 28 February 2013

Siemens says it is tackling the skills gap by launching UK's first engineering education and careers portal for schools, with the Cabinet Office, Department of Education and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Launched today (28 February 2013) at the Manufacturing Summit, hosted by DBIS at the Heritage Motor Centre Motor Museum, Gaydon, the Siemens Education Portal will provide a hub of information, aimed at encouraging young people to engage with engineering and manufacturing.

Due to be rolled out to 5,000 schools across the UK by 2014, it is expected to reach more than 1.95 million pupils within the first year and 4.5 million by 2016.

Initially the portal will support the 11 to 14 age group, although Siemens says there are also plans to expand the age range over the next two years.

The scheme will host a range of interactive education materials, supporting science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) related subjects. Content will connect teachers and young people through a range of curriculum-based schemes.

"It remains vital that we all play our role in developing talent for the future to replace the ageing workforce in the manufacturing and industrial sectors," comments Juergen Maier, Siemens Industry managing director.

"The only way to change the perceptions of engineering and manufacturing is to target children as young as nine – and really explain how exciting working in this field is," he continues.

"The portal we have developed is a new way of reaching young people interested in working in engineering. We are passionate about showing aspiring students – girls as well as boys – that working in areas, such as high-value manufacturing, can really lead to a solid and long term career."

And Sarah Sillars, chief executive of Semta, the Sector Skills Council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies says: "It is absolutely vital we do all that we can to close the skills gap as the workforce ages and birth rates fall.

"As a country, we need to take a new approach to getting our messages into the heart of the education system, and it is very positive that Siemens has recognised the need to cultivate UK talent for future prosperity and economic growth.

"The portal really could be a game changer in the way in which businesses interact with the education system."

Brian Tinham

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