§ Mr. IngramTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the aims and objectives of his Department's engineering policy unit; and if he will make a statement. [16114]
§ Mr. Ian Taylor[holding answer 17 February 1997]: The mission of my Department's engineering policy unit is to promote the better development and use of engineering skills to improve the competitiveness of UK industry. It has strategic responsibility for stimulating innovation and encouraging best management practice in the selection, education, training, recruitment, employment and development of engineers and technicians. It is the single point of contact for matters pertaining to all the engineering institutions and is responsible for transdepartmental engineering human resource policy matters.
485WThe engineering policy unit has developed, enabled and supported the hugely successful "action for engineering" initiative, which has brought together some 125 representatives from industry, business, the professional institutions, academia, Government and charities in a steering group and six task forces to take co-ordinated action to increase substantially the influence, involvement and achievement of professional engineers and technicians for the benefit of British industry. With my Department's support, action for engineering has implemented or developed 32 projects for members of the engineering community to take forward.
The engineering policy unit has also supported the strategic development of the Year of Engineering Success.
The unit has been instrumental in fostering a new spirit of collaboration and cooperation within the engineering community and seeks to maintain a dynamic dialogue between the educators and trainers of engineers on the 486W one hand and employers of engineers on the other. It ensures that the needs of industry are reflected in Government policy and supply side initiatives on engineering education and training.