Cuadrilla Resources and Centrica Energy promote education and skills in Lancashire

Education and the search for engineers of the future was the theme of a recent business dinner held at Fylde Rugby Club.

The dinner was a networking event for more than 100 educationalists, business chiefs and local authority representatives to learn about job opportunities and the need to fill a future engineering skills gap.

He said: “At Cuadrilla we are working very hard on a solution to deliver the natural gas present in the shale beneath our feet here in Lancashire. Supplying cost effective, secure and safe energy for the future is a significant engineering and social challenge. There will be many other such challenges facing future generations. Having seen the talent that is being nurtured in Lancashire’s schools I am confident that our young engineers will rise confidently to address those challenges.”

The competition, with a £12,000 prize fund, is jointly organised by Cuadrilla, Centrica Energy, Blackpool and Fylde College and Johnston Press.Greg McKenna, Centrica’s director of non-operated assets, said that Centrica was proud to be a part of the Young Engineer competition - and also looked forward to the development of students at the newly announced National College Onshore Oil and Gas at the Blackpool and the Fylde College.

“We currently face a shortfall of engineers and already Centrica has recruited over 1200 apprentices across the UK because the next generation are so critical to the success of our business. The Young Engineers competition is important as it will help to increase interest in engineering and contribute to ensuring the local area flourishes as a hub for the energy sector.”