The new site, dubbed ‘the employers' toolkit', is being put together by the team behind the development of the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design, which is due to be rolled out across schools in England from 2009.

The site will feature case studies, videos, profiles and interactive question and answer sessions about manufacturing companies across many industries and will be targeted at teachers, parents and pupils in order to encourage more youngsters to consider a career in manufacturing.

Derek Jones, who is head of the development team behind the Diploma, said: "This toolkit offers employers a new way of communicating directly with potential recruits. Manufacturing is not very high on the careers wish-list of many young people, largely because they do not know as much about the industry as they do, say, media or retail. A lot of young people wrongly think that manufacturing only offers boring, low-paid jobs and that it isn't very exciting. Employers are in the best position to challenge these perceptions and demonstrate the huge range of opportunities manufacturing has to offer. The toolkit offers an easy way of doing this."

The toolkit is being designed to boost the numbers of young people taking the manufacturing diploma, which goes live in 2009, as an alternative to GSCEs and A-Levels.

"The diploma is a once-in-alifetime opportunity for the industry because it will give employers a direct role in teaching young people about what their industry is really like, what opportunities it has to offer and what skills it requires," added Jones. "We know interest in the diploma is very high - four out of five 13 and 14 year olds in school are already considering taking one. But we want the manufacturing diploma to be top choice, and without the involvement of employers helping to generate enthusiasm, the worry is that it will be eclipsed by other subjects."

Linda Florance, Chief Executive of Skillfast-UK, the sector skills council for the textile industry, added: "This toolkit is a great mechanism to communicate the vast array of prospects open to young people who want a career that is challenging and rewarding but which doesn't require years of additional academic study. However, it will only be truly successful if schools and employees fully embrace it."

For more information go to: www.manufacturingdiploma.co.uk/.

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