Engineering in UK given another shot at GBP50k

Engineering and construction businesses across the UK could be in line to receive a share of GBP300,000 to help provide training opportunities for their employees

Engineering and construction businesses across the UK could be in line to receive a share of GBP300,000 to help provide training opportunities for their employees, with individual awards of up to GBP50k.

Many young people are making a success of their careers through apprenticeships and work placements.

Edge, the educational foundation, has created the Edge Employer Awards to highlight and reward employers who provide excellent training opportunities for young people, such as apprenticeships and work placements.

The good news is that the deadline has been extended to 21 July 2006, giving companies one extra week to apply for the awards.

A judging panel made up of local business leaders and young learners will decide which three organisations from each of the UK's regions deserve to be rewarded for offering quality apprenticeships, excellent work placements and other practical-learning opportunities.

These three organisations will then be entered into the national competition.

Entries will be judged on cultures in which learning is valued and can flourish, achieving results and setting future ambitions .

The prize will be in the form of a grant to be invested in training opportunities for young people.

Despite the large prize fund, employers have so far seemed reluctant to enter, compared with last year.

Andy Powell, chief executive at Edge said: "This deadline extension should encourage all those organisations who are doing great things to give the Edge Employer Awards a go.

It only takes ten minutes to apply and it literally could result in GBP50,000 for your organisation.

It could be the best ten minutes you ever spend!" To enter, organisations will need to demonstrate how they already offer excellent learning-by-doing and training opportunities and explain their ambitions for the future.

Applications can be made on-line, on the website.

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