Working together to promote engineering

Mar 13 2007 By The Journal

The Tees Valley Engineering Partnership (TVEP) is an alliance of directors and senior mangers from engineering companies and public bodies throughout the Tees Valley. The partnership has a single aim - to provide strategic direction ensuring the sustainability of the engineering sector.

During the past 12 months the membership has grown to more than 50 engineering companies across the Tees Valley. Membership with the partnership is free and TVEP works solely for the benefit of its members.

Involvement with the partnership provides excellent networking opportunities. A recent business breakfast attracted around 100 industrialists. It also acts as a valuable source of information on forthcoming events and market information/leads.

The partnership has focused on four areas to date; energy, technology, education and skills and the marketing of the engineering sector.

And there have been some notable achievements.

The education and skills group has addressed the skills and labour shortages within the engineering sector, one of the significant factors affecting the industry at present.

Recent research amongst group members illustrated the skills scarcity is a key threat to their future business prospects.

The partnership has embarked upon pioneering the direct recruitment of leavers with engineering skills from the armed forces.

Two presentations have been held at Catterick Garrison to more than 80 servicemen, a number of whom have now found employment with local engineering companies.

TVEP also works actively with schools to attract, inform and encourage the next generation into a career in engineering.

For instance TVEP initiated an Engineers In Residence scheme locating young engineering graduates into schools to provide support to teachers and valuable information to youngsters, in addition to that which the schools provide.

The engineers act as role models encouraging and informing the youngsters about the fantastic career prospects engineering has to offer. There are currently 16 engineers based in eight schools around the Tees Valley.

TVEP works proactively to encourage employee engagement between academia and industry and sits on a steering group overseeing the introduction of the 14-19 diplomas.

It organises industrial visits for schools and more than 120 engineering GCSE pupils have benefited this year so far.

The partnership is currently pioneering the second programme of Year 9 engineering activity days, where children design and produce an engineered product during the course of a full day - which is concluded by a site visit. More than 115 pupils have participated in the last year.

And this has also led to a higher percentage of girls taking engineering as their GCSE option this year.

TVEP recognises the energy opportunities that are available in the Tees Valley. A report has been produced to identifying potential opportunities for local companies, which is currently being acted upon.

Further opportunities arise from the development of the Tees Valley as a City Region.

The presence of TVEP has ensured the engineering sector is a key driver within this economic plan.

Two significant pieces of work are being undertaken to underpin the long term strategy for the industry being drawn up by TVEP.

A survey of the sector will be completed by April. This will identify the scope and capability of engineering in this area as well as exploring key drivers and constraints in some depth.

The future of engineering will also be explored through a collaborative piece of work that will involve more than 20 industrialists working together to describe how they believe the sector will look over the next five to 10 years and the issues that need to be addressed to ensure sustainability.

The outcome of these pieces of work will enable the members of TVEP to draw up a strategy that will be complimentary to local and regional planning, a strategy designed and implemented by the very people it will serve - Tees Valley's engineers.