Young engineers with the right skills can save Britain's manufacturing industries, a leading Midlands motor industry boss has claimed.

But Sir Alan Jones said that would only happen if they are encouraged into engineering careers by schools, teachers and industry. Sir Alan is chairman of Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd, which has a huge vehicle plant at Burnaston near Derby, and president of the Birmingham-based Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders' Industry Forum. He said it was vital for the future of the country that youngsters were inspired to take an interest in engineering.

Sir Alan claimed: "A lot of work is being done to address skills shortages which are holding back much of industry, but there is a need for more.

"We must target 14-year-olds to 19-year-olds with the message that there is real achievement in making something - in helping to make dreams come true.

"Without engineering and manufacturing the world cannot exist as it does," he said.

He spoke out as figures show the number of manufacturing jobs in the West Midlands has crashed to its lowest level since records began.

According to the most recent totals released in May, five thousand people left the sector in three months - and the total shed in just four years now stands at 85,000, the Office for National Statistics said. The figures, for the quarter to December 2005, showed 360,000 people were employed in manufacturing compared with 365,000 in the preceding period.

And, as previously reported in The Post, they revealed a gradual decline from the launch of regional records in December 2002, when the number working in the sector stood at 445,000.

Sir Alan said the Government could do only so much to support manufacturing.

"It is up to schools to encourage free reign to youngsters' imaginations, and up to industry to provide the entrance route for young scientists and engineers," he added.

Sir Alan, soon to be chairman of SEMTA, the sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies, was speaking to educationalists, school governors, teachers, and industry chiefs at a special session of the Youth Engineering Summit organised by the SMMT Industry Forum.

More than 1,500 youngsters and their teachers attended the summit which ran over three days at Jaguar Cars training centre in Castle Bromwich.

The special show was called "Inspiring Careers in Engineering" and was aimed at a broad audience including school governors, head teach-ers, and education profession-als as well as industry representatives.

Graham Broome, SMMT Industry Forum chief executive, said: "Amid the gloomy news that has come from Peugeot, Vauxhall and MG Rover it is important not to forget that the future competitiveness of engineering and manufacturing in this country depends on a constant supply of enthusiastic youngsters with the right skills who see engineering as an attractive career.

"We aim to show youngsters, teachers and education professionals that engineering in today's high tech world is an exciting prospect. British engineers once had hero status

and we must show young people what can be achieved."

He said the automotive industry, along with other engineering based sectors, was being held back in the UK because of a lack of people with the right skills.

William De Braekeleer, corporate PR manager for Honda Motor Europe, hoped the event inspired more youngsters to realise that science and engineering can be fun. The Industry Forum - based on Birmingham Business Park - was set up in 1996 to drive for the achievement of world leading competitiveness in the UK-based vehicle and components industry. It is an organisation set up by the automotive industry to represent the sector. ..SUPL: