Engineering apprenticeships for school leavers are aproving very popular with females, with NLT Training Services reporting a significant number of young women currently studying Electrical Engineering and Advanced Mechanical Engineering at NVQ Level 2 and Level 3.

Steve Meadows, chief executive at NLT Training Services said: “Apprenticeships are having a huge impact on addressing the skills shortage in this region and employers are seeing huge benefits from investing in their own home grown talent, which is important in securing future innovation and productivity in their businesses.

“We are delighted to be at the forefront of removing gender stereotyping from the industry. There is a shortage of female role models within engineering, so we hope that the young women training at NLT can be ambassadors for this sector and help encourage more women to pursue engineering courses and careers. Hayley and others like her are proving that engineering really is a rewarding and challenging career for both sexes.”

Many of the girls are working as cable joiners, maintenance fitters, technicians and electricians at a range of companies across Derbyshire, including Bulwell Precision, Fusion and Thorntons plc.

One such apprentice, Hayley Grimson, commented: “Lots of my friends were surprised when I went into engineering as it’s normally seen as a man’s world. However, there are so many opportunities though and different career routes including design, automation, technical, maintenance and development roles, that you really can have a varied and rewarding career.”