A BRADFORD business leader has called for the city to have a government-funded school offering 14-18 year-olds more technical and scientific subjects to help manufacturers plug a growing skills gap.

Stephen Wright, who chairs the Yorkshire advisory committee of manufacturers' body EEF, made his call as engineering industry leaders unveiled a new campaign to encourage more young people to enter the industry.

This week has been designated Tomorrow’s Engineers Week and EEF says companies need to find nearly one million workers by 2020 just to replace those retiring or leaving the industry.

Mr Wright, managing director of Laisterdyke-based pneumatics specialist Thorite, welcomed the move and said he hoped Bradford would get a University Technical College to further boost skills training.

UTCs were founded by former education secretary Lord Kenneth Baker and education specialist the late Lord Dearing and more than 50 will open by 2017.

Mr Wright also praised Bradford College's new Advanced Technology Centre which provides specialist courses using state-of-the-art technology to develop skills needed by employers.

He said: " I think a UTC would be of great value for Bradford and my wish is to see one established to complement the one in Leeds. Skills is a major issue for manufacturing and it's encouraging that more SME companies like my own are once again going down the apprenticeship route.

" The 89 member companies in our trade body the British Compressed Air Society employ 91 apprentices and Thorite currently has five."

EEF says there will be more than 2.5 million job openings in engineering companies up to 2022 and 66 per cent of manufacturers plan to recruit an engineering graduate in the next three years with a similar number intending to recruit an engineering apprentice in the next 12 months

Seventy two per cent of manufacturers say raising awareness of apprenticeships will encourage more young people into manufacturing, with 63 per cent calling for more initiatives between schools and business

Andrew Tuscher, EEF Yorkshire regional director, said: “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.

“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.”