SCHOOL pupils will assemble deep-water robots as part of a week of activities aimed at informing them about one of the North-East’s major growth industries.

Foundation for Jobs in partnership with Modus Seabed Intervention and Darlington College is holding the subsea engineering week to demonstrate the opportunities that exist for young people in an industry that carries out much of its work using deep sea robots known as ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles).

Subsea is worth £9bn a year to the UK economy, with more than 50 firms in the North East alone employing 15,000 people and with annual revenues of £1.5bn.

Year nine and 10 Pupils from Darlington secondary schools will attend sessions from February 6 to 12, where they will build mini ROV kits designed by the US Navy’s Office of Naval Research.

Last year Darlington based Modus established the C-State Subsea Training Centre at Darlington College to address a potential impending skills gap in subsea, which is also set to affect the wider engineering sector.

As part of the activity, held at Darlington College, students will visit C-STATE to see a £4m ROV and mock control room used to train the ROV pilots, as well as meet staff from Modus to discuss the opportunities that exist.

Professions within the industry range from those who design and build the ROVS, to those who pilot and maintain them, with expertise also needed in specialisms such as subsea geology and international marine law.

In November firms including Darlington based Modus and DeepOcean Group, Newcastle based SMD and Stockton firm Reef Subsea took part in a Darlington College Careers Market Place event, supported by Foundation for Jobs, for young people in their final years at school and were well received.

To end the subsea week a similar event will be held on the afternoon of February 12 for Year 10 and 11 students, as well as sixth form and college students.

Foundation for Jobs chairman Coun Chris McEwan said: “At the college open evening we had a lot of interest in subsea engineering from both young people and their parents.

“Many of these young people had an interest in engineering careers but were unaware of subsea and the opportunities it offers.

“The idea of this week in February is to build on that work and demonstrate to more young people the opportunities that exist for them in this exciting industry sector.”

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 4,000 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