SOE: 'Not a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it'

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Friday, 25, Jan 2008 12:00

Apprenticeship providers and careers advisors invited to free event:

Not a dirty job, but someone’s gotta do it

Engineering: A solid profession

The ‘Future Skills Shortage Crisis’ event, to be held on 18 March, is the engineering profession’s rallying call to those who provide apprenticeships, highlighting the growing skills shortage within the road transport and distribution industries.

With students leaving university with average debts of nearly £18,000, young people are thinking twice before embarking upon degrees. However, as the free event to be held at Mid-Kent College will prove, this doesn’t mean a serious profession is beyond their means.

The Government’s recent Apprenticeship Reform Bill actively promotes apprenticeships, and offers support to those that offer them. All people under the age of 18 will stay in some form of training or education by 2015, and engineering can benefit from this more than most.

With many speakers, such as the IRTE’s (Institute of Road Transport Engineers) Ian Chisholm, representing the industry, the event will offer apprenticeship providers and careers advisors an informative evening, and the opportunity to network in an informal environment.

Future Skills Shortage Crisis, Mid-Kent College, Maidstone. 18 March, 6pm.

Email melanie.powell@soe.org.uk or call 020 7630 1111 and reserve your place. Further details available from the national events pages on the SOE website, www.soe.org.ok.

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Editor’s notes:

IRTE (Institute of Road Transport Engineers)

IRTE, one of the most respected names in UK transport, was founded in 1944 and is recognised as an impartial voice of the industry. It encourages high standards of excellence with an emphasis on safety in operation, demonstrated by its research and education programme for members and industry. The IRTE is also a partner in the CV Show, alongside the RHA and SMMT.

IRTE members come from a wide variety of transport-related roles including apprentices and technicians in the light and heavy and bus and coach sectors, workshop managers, fleet engineers, transport managers and company directors.

SOE (Society of Operations Engineers)

SOE is a professional membership organisation that represents around 17,000 individuals and companies in the engineering industry. The SOE has three professional sectors – IRTE, IPlantE and BES (see below for more details).

The Society promotes safe, efficient and environmentally sustainable operations engineering to the benefit of the community at large, through the support of best practice and health and safety initiatives, a commitment to the professional development of its members and by influencing legislation and design.

SOE is a licensed member of ECUK and can register members at all three levels, CEng, IEng and EngTech.

The SOE is online at www.soe.org.uk