TTE Management and Technical Training is aiming to get more girls to consider a career in engineering through a series of information days.

The events are to inform girls of the opportunities available to them in what has historically been a male dominated industry.

Through its schools programme, TTE, one of the largest providers of apprenticeship training in the UK, has established strong links with local schools and has both male and female students taking part in its unusual course for year ten and 11 pupils working towards their GCSEs.

However, the company's latest intake of apprentices did not include a single woman.

TTE group technical manager Keith Leslie, said: "This year's lack of female applicants to our engineering programme was disappointing.

"Looking back over the last few years we have never had an entirely male intake, and we have now decided that positive action needs to be taken to target women and promote engineering to them as a valuable career opportunity."

He said the next information day, in February, would be the first of many.

"As a training provider and an equal opportunities employer TTE is determined that every opportunity should be given for women to play their full part in the region's engineering industry."