A HOST of engineering companies and organisations are to come together to support an event demonstrating to young people the wide range of careers engineering can offer them.

The third annual Foundation for Jobs Low Carbon Engineering Event will offer Year Nine students from schools across Darlington the opportunity to take part in practical sessions which increase their insight into the variety of roles available in engineering.

It's hoped the event on Thursday, October 9 will help guide the young people involved in their GCSE options, highlight the importance and practical uses of STEM subjects and also inspire their interest in a sector that is vital to the North-East economy but is facing impending skills gaps with thousands of workers due to retire.

Firms and organisations which have already pledged to support the event include hosts Lingfield Point, Cummins, Amec, South West Durham Training (SWDT), the Engineering Development Trust, the Gateshead College-run Skills Academy for Sustainable Manufacturing and Innovation, Darlington College and RTC North, which runs the STEM Ambassador programme in the North-East.

About 150 students are expected to attend to take part in activities, which include building a solar powered Mars rover, piloting a mini subsea robot, wiring a wind turbine, using computer aided design and completing an engineering design project.

Chris McEwan, Foundation for Jobs chairman, said: “This is the third year in which we have held this very successful event and once again we are extremely grateful to Lingfield Point for hosting us and to the engineering firms and organisations involved.

“What has been apparent from previous years is that the young people get an immense amount from the day and an understanding of engineering that is difficult to instil by simply talking to them.

“I am always impressed by the wide variety of practical tasks the engineers create to demonstrate what they do in their everyday lives in a practical and interesting way for the young people.”

As a major part of the region’s economy engineering is a key area for Foundation for Jobs in its aim to match young people’s aspirations with the North-East employment market.

Many young people were not only unaware of which industries are set to create the most jobs in the North-East in the years to come but also had outdated perceptions of those industries and the varied range of jobs and skills required.

Now a national award-winning project, Foundation for Jobs is a joint initiative to tackle youth unemployment involving The Northern Echo, Darlington Borough Council and the Darlington Partnership of private firms and public sector organisations, which has also enjoyed support from businesses and industrialists across the whole North-East region.

It has worked with more than 3,200 young people since it was launched in January 2012.

For further details contact owen.mcateer@darlington.gov.uk or go to www.foundationforjobs.co.uk