A RECORD number of trainee engineers have been recruited at a Teesside college.

A student engineering programme has attracted 130 young people, including two girls.

They will undertake the two-year course and aim to enter an industry sponsored Advanced Modern Apprenticeship (AMA.)

The training programme course at Edison House, in South Bank, was set up by Redcar and Cleveland college and training organisation TTE.

It allows sponsor companies to support a second year apprentice who will then work for them.

The 2003 intake is the first set of young people to study in the new Centre of Vocational Excellence in Process and Manufacturing, at Edison House.

About 97 per cent of the 2001 intake have become AMA apprentices.

Keith Leslie, TTE group technical manager, said: "We are delighted to welcome such high numbers as the first intake into Edison House.

"It proves that more and more young people are looking to industry for a career path, which can only be beneficial to the region's economy."