EFFORTS underway in Keighley to strengthen the link between education and manufacturing and engineering employers have been praised by a Government minister.

MP Matthew Hancock, who is Minister of State for Business and Enterprise, visited Keighley Campus Leeds City College last Friday morning. (February 27)

He toured some of the campus’ facilities including the new Centre of Excellence for Advanced Manufacturing & Engineering (Creative & Digital Technologies), which brings together educational and business partners to improve entry into the local engineering and manufacturing industry.

He was also shown around the college's Fab Lab, which aims to inspire and engage local inventors and entrepreneurs and has recently moved into the college campus.

The Fab Lab is equipped with a range of machinery including vacuum moulding, 3D printing, laser cutters and vinyl cutters.

Mr Hancock was finally taken to see the college's STAR Centre, which uses the theme of space to attract young people to study science and technology.

He said: “The Centre of Excellence at Keighley will provide young people with the essential skills they need to start a career in manufacturing and engineering.

“The UK’s manufacturing sector is growing and it is important that we support innovative centres like this, so that we continue to have a high-skilled workforce for the future.

"Ensuring we have the right skills-base is part of the Government’s long term economic plan.

"There are an increasing number of jobs in Keighley, and people are bringing their production back to Yorkshire from around the world.

"We need to make sure local young people get the skills they need for the jobs which are becoming available.

"The work I've seen being done here at Keighley Campus is incredibly impressive. They are training people with the cutting edge technology which will prepare them for the jobs of the future.

"3D printing is one of the innovations that is going to change the way manufacturing is done for the next decade or more. To be able to learn how to carry out 3D printing here in Keighley puts these students in the best possible position."

Much of the tour was conducted by Centre of Excellence business operations manager, Chris Stott.

He said: "To me, these sorts of events are key to raising the profile of engineering and manufacturing. And we have to raise that profile to get bright young people into the sector.

"The minister said that what we're doing here is exactly what the Government is looking to achieve. They are acutely aware of the skills gap.

"We want to make our training exciting and modern, and the training must reflect the needs of the industry. And we need to show this is a clean environment – it's not all about oily and dirty workshops."