This week MP Neil Carmichael discusses engineering

EVER since I was elected, I have relentlessly promoted engineering and manufacturing.

Principally, this was motivated by the fact that 25 per cent of all jobs in the Valleys and Vale are in the sector and therefore provides a critical mass for rebalancing our local economy and stimulating growth.

Locally, the Festival of Manufacturing and Engineering remains the key vehicle for bringing together all stakeholders and highlighting the importance of the sector to working families and wealth creation.

Another key function of the festival is to encourage young people to think of engineering as a career, not least because there are so many lucrative job opportunities out there.

Making sure the Valleys and Vale benefits from having the right infrastructure in place has also been a major part of my work.

Securing funding to redouble the Stroud-Swindon railway line in readiness for a new range of modern trains to cut travel times; getting funding to create a training and skills centre at Berkeley Power Station; and seeking confirmation that the Air Balloon roundabout (A417) is properly sorted out is all about building a resilient and expanding local economy.

The foundations for all of this is the Coalition Government’s long-term economic plan. Reducing the deficit, rebalancing the economy, tackling the need for new skills and training opportunities and encouraging innovation are all “must do” tasks. Deviating from any of them would be reckless and potentially fatal for our economic future.

The evidence for this can be seen all over the Valleys and Vale. Nationally, engineering turnover grew by 6.7 per cent, reaching a staggering £1.17 trillion in value over the last year. This is a quarter of all economic activity and is well reflected in the performance and investment plans of our local firms. We have seen expansion in Renishaw, Lister Shearing, Diary Crest, Delphi and ABB to name but a few. In the next ten years we need 1.82 million more engineers across the United Kingdom. This translates into fabulous opportunities for our young people so sticking with the long-term economic plan and continuing with my plan for the local economy really does matter.