•  Job opportunities: There will be more than 2.5 million job openings in engineering companies up to 2022 – manufacturers need to find almost one million workers by 2020 simply to replace those retiring or leaving industry

•  Recruitment plans: 66% of manufacturers plan to recruit an engineering graduate in the next three years and 66% plan to recruit an engineering apprentice in the next 12 months

•  Employability: According to Engineering UK, 66% of engineering and technology graduates were in full-time employment within 6 months of graduating, compared with 58% of all graduates

•  Rules of attraction: 72% of manufacturers say raising awareness of apprenticeships  will encourage more young people into manufacturing – 63% say the same of STEM-promoting initiatives between schools and business

•  Careers advice: six in ten firms (60%) say better-informed careers advice at school will encourage more young people into engineering.

Verity O’Keefe, employment and skills policy adviser at EEF, says: “This week is about sending up a flare to alert young people, parents and teachers to the wealth of opportunity in engineering. A career in our sector ticks all the boxes, offering jobs, good pay and the chance of an interesting and dynamic long-term career.

“But the opportunities go deeper than that – engineering also offers young people the chance to choose the career path that is right for them. There is no right or wrong way – whether you choose to ‘earn and learn’ as an apprentice or join industry as a graduate, the fact is that your choice will be respected and your ability and ambition rewarded.

“It’s critical that we get this message out – our sector has much to offer and by helping young people to understand this we will give them every reason to want to get involved.”