Engineering employers who need to improve the skills of their employees are being offered a free assessment to help them identify the future skill needs of their workforce.

SEMTA, the Sector Skills Council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies, is piloting a scheme aimed at engaging with engineering companies in England that employ fewer than 250 people and helping them in addressing the skills needs of at least three of their staff.

The move follows the publication earlier this year of SEMTA's Sector Skills Agreement which showed that half of the industry's workforce will need up-skilling in the next five years.

Lynn Tomkins, director of operations at SEMTA said: "There is a very simple message for employers which is that improving the skills of their employees brings real benefits to making them more productive and so profitable.

"The problem for many employers, especially small and medium sized companies, is both finding the time and having the resources to identify where there are skills gaps and to find out about possible public funding to pay towards training."
SEMTA, the Sector Skills Council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies, is piloting a scheme aimed at engaging with engineering companies in England that employ fewer than 250 people and helping them in addressing the skills needs of at least three of their staff.

The move follows the publication earlier this year of SEMTA's Sector Skills Agreement which showed that half of the industry's workforce will need up-skilling in the next five years.

Lynn Tomkins, director of operations at SEMTA said: "There is a very simple message for employers which is that improving the skills of their employees brings real benefits to making them more productive and so profitable.

"The problem for many employers, especially small and medium sized companies, is both finding the time and having the resources to identify where there are skills gaps and to find out about possible public funding to pay towards training."