SMALLER engineering firms in the North-East are being offered an extra financial incentive to take on apprentices and ensure they are not hit by a skills shortfall.

The Engineering Construction Industry Training Board is offering to match fund a Government scheme for firms taking on their first apprentices, meaning small and medium sized firms in the sector could benefit from a £3,000 contribution towards the young person’s wages.

It comes as the Northern Echo’s Foundation for Jobs has highlighted engineering as a vital component in addressing the North-East’s problem of high youth unemployment.

At a time when many young people in the region are unemployed, engineering, a major part of the region’s economy, is actually facing a skills gap.

Foundation for Jobs, a partnership between The Northern Echo, Darlington Borough Council and the Darlington Partnership of public and private sector organisations, aims to increase the number of young people taking apprenticeships and internships, as well as giving school age youngsters an insight into the sectors where jobs are most likely to be created in the North-East in the coming years, such as engineering.

A low carbon engineering event involving the seven secondary schools in Darlington has been planned for July.

The additional support from the ECITB follows the Government’s announcement in February that grants of £1,500 to up to 40,000 small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) prepared to take on their first apprentice aged between 16 and 24.

This year, the ECITB will offer an additional £1,500 per apprentice for SMEs who have not recruited an apprentice in the past three years and register them on an ECITB approved training framework.

ECITB regional manager Don Atkinson said: “We know the age profile of our industry sector is quite high and, obviously, if we don’t get new recruits coming through, this could affect firms’ ability to bring in business.

“It is also a good thing to give a young person an opportunity in life.

“Without a doubt this support offers a real opportunity in this region, with the number of engineering firms here.

“There are also a lot of big companies in the region and when they win large contracts it offers opportunities to the SMEs to work as sub contractors.

They will need these skilled people in place to win that work.

“A company is only as good as the skills it has.”

The ECITB, a non-departmental government body which draws a levy from the engineering sector each year to reinvest in skills, will commit upto £500,000 to the new initiative.

Any firm that wants more details of the ECITB scheme is asked to contact Don.Atkinson@ Ecitb.org.uk For further information on Foundation for Jobs and how it can help identify candidates for apprenticeships contact campaign co-ordinator Owen McAteer on 01325-388367.