South West Water was today confirmed as the first company to be granted match funding as part of the government’s £30 million engineering skills initiative.

Vince Cable today marked the start of the second Tomorrow’s Engineers Week by confirming the government’s commitment to invest in training the engineers of the future. Speaking at the start of a week of activity that seeks to challenge the perceptions of engineering among young people, their parents and teachers, the Business Secretary announced that government and employers are working together to develop the engineering workforce Britain needs to compete on the world stage.

Acting on the recommendations of ‘Perkins Review of Engineering Skills’ published in November 2013, the government has established partnerships with employers from across industry with multi-million pound collaborative investments in initiatives such as national colleges for manufacturing, energy and high-speed rail and £30 million of match funding for businesses to design and deliver innovative skills training.

South West Water was today confirmed as the first company to be granted match funding as part of the £30 million initiative. The government and South West Water are to co-invest more than £250,000 in developing the skills needed to replenish an ageing workforce. With up to 40% of the company’s current operational workforce due to retire within the next decade, South West Water is investing in the skills it needs to continue to deliver a quality service to its customers and manage the loss of experienced staff.

• The 3-year training programme, which is due to start in January 2015, will support:
• Career progression training for engineers
• Re-skilling or up-skilling employees
• Conversion training from other occupations within the business, or creating pathways for technician or engineering professionals to chartered status. 

A total of 86 existing South West Water employees are expected to benefit directly, including engineering technicians in Waste Water, Drinking Water, Operational Services and Engineering, some of whom will undertake a Level 4 Diploma in Water Industry Operations and Management.

Chris Loughlin, Chief Executive at South West Water, said:

“Just as we plan our infrastructure requirements many years ahead, it’s important to ensure that we have a steady supply of trained talent for tomorrow. We’re delighted to have secured this extra funding. It will help us to develop a new generation of engineers and technical staff, opening up some exciting new career opportunities.”

The first £20 million of the fund is currently open for employers looking to develop projects aimed at improving engineering careers and increasing the number of women in the sector. The final £10 million will soon be made available to develop engineering skills in smaller companies.