Council leader backs HETA with call for employers to boost economy by recruiting locally
ON THE SAME PAGE: Councillor Anne Handley, leader of East Riding Council, with the chair of HETA Ian Palmer, left, and HETA CEO Iain Elliott
By Rick Lyon, Co-Editor
A company which has launched the engineering careers of thousands of young people has calculated that its apprentices are injecting nearly £1bn into the regional economy every year.
Humberside Engineering Training Association (HETA) said the learners who start their careers at the company’s three sites in the Humber region go on to make a lifetime contribution of around £900m.
Iain Elliott, CEO of HETA, said the figures demonstrate the added value which comes from local employers sourcing and developing new talent from their own doorstep.
His comments were endorsed by Councillor Anne Handley, leader of East Riding Council, as she visited HETA’s training centre in Hull.
As the Conservative candidate in the forthcoming mayoral election for Hull and East Yorkshire, Councillor Handley said she was eager to find out more about the skills pipeline available to businesses in the region.
She said: “I’m passionate about skills, education and apprenticeships and I wanted to see what they are doing at HETA.
“We have opportunities for huge numbers of engineers and we want as many of those as possible to come from the local area because that’s better for them and for the employers. It is really important to me that we get our young people and adults into lifelong learning and well-paid jobs in our area.”
Mr Elliott said the Hull site had previously hosted a visit by Councillor Mike Ross, leader of Hull City Council and the Lib Dem candidate in the election which takes place on Thursday, May 1.
Mr Elliott said: “We are keen to better inform candidates about the work that we do in driving forward technical skills for Hull, the East Riding and the wider Humber region. We are not political but we have invested heavily in the last ten years and we are keen to see the strategic mayoral authority also invest in the skills system particularly with capital investment.
“One thing which has brought benefits for employers and for those like ourselves working in training and education is the introduction of the Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) and we would like to see the mayoral candidates make a commitment to keep it as an initiative that is embedded in our region even if the concept doesn’t continue nationally.”
HETA’s calculations around the economic impact of its apprentices are based on lifetime earnings, taxes paid, productivity, and public service costs.
Mr Elliott said: “HETA has been a cornerstone of engineering education in the Yorkshire and Humber region since it was set up in 1967 and the impact runs far deeper than equipping young people with the technical skills needed to survive.
SUPPORT: Councillor Handley with some of the engineering apprentices at HETA’s site in Hull
“We work hand in hand with industry to ensure that its apprentices are job-ready, armed with practical expertise that meets the demands of the modern workforce and we were surprised ourselves when our research showed that the contribution of our apprentices is injecting nearly £1bn into the regional economy every year.
“Every year around 250 learners leave here to pursue opportunities in some of the UK’s most vital industries, from renewable energy and advanced manufacturing to chemical processing, engineering, and heavy industry. During their careers we calculate that each cohort will make a contribution to the region of between £843m and £906m to the region.”
During the past decade, HETA has self-invested more than £14m into its three state-of-the-art training centres in Hull, Scunthorpe and Grimsby.
Mr Elliott, who sits on the board of the LSIP and the new Hull and East Yorkshire Skills Board, said: “Our investment ensures that apprentices are workforce-ready from day one, helping businesses avoid costly training gaps and keeping regional employers ahead of the curve.
“For these industries to thrive – and remain in the region – businesses need a steady pipeline of skilled workers. Without investment in young people, there is a real risk that companies will struggle to recruit, leading to missed opportunities and potential relocations.
“By training hundreds of apprentices every year, HETA helps to secure the future of these industries, keeping high-value employers rooted in Yorkshire and Humber and ensuring the region remains a leader in engineering and innovation.”
Coun Handley toured the workshops at HETA’s site in Dansom Lane, Hull, and spoke to some of the apprentices who will be seeking work placements this summer.
She said: “What I always take from talking to the young people is the feeling of energy and hope.
“One of the main conversations was about the efforts the young people and HETA are making to find work placements. It was also clear that not all of them enjoyed school. They didn’t feel it was right for them but now they are doing something they really enjoy and something they want to do rather than something they are told to do. We as adults, and especially those in education, need to understand that if you give young people something they enjoy, you will get their attention and commitment.”
Mr Elliott added: “These young learners joined HETA in September and were all pre-vetted, arriving with good GCSE grades and having demonstrated excellence in aptitude tests including spatial awareness, reasoning, mechanical principles, English and maths.
“They just need a chance. Employers are still saying they need to recruit more engineers for the future and we will have these ready to start on-site in July, working full-time for two years with no requirement for day release.”