A BRADFORD engineering training centre is seeing growing interest from women looking at apprenticeships in manufacturing.

Kenny Stoddart, operations director at Laisterdyke-based engineering training company Appris, which trains apprentices from Bradford and West Yorkshire firms, said the image of the industry had changed dramatically from its ‘greasy rag’ days and was now attracting more girls and women to seek the good career prospects it offers.

Mr Stoddart said more firms are also switched on to hiring female apprentices. But more recruits are needed.

Appris currently trains 13 girls in engineering roles out of 280 apprentices from local firms, including air cooling systems manufacturer Mansfield Pollard whose boss Joanna Robinson is the face of a new campaign to attract more females into engineering.

“We’re definitely seeing a shift towards more women being interested in working in engineering with more employers providing apprenticeships to females and schools becoming more alert to the opportunities for youngsters. We need this trend to continue to tackle potential skills shortages in the industry,” said Mr Stoddart.

Appris, which was established in 2011 when the Bradford Training Association and the Leeds Training Trust merged and operates from an industrial engineering training centre, opened off Sticker Lane in 2014.

It marked the recent National Women in Engineering Day by gathering some of its women apprentices working for local firms and tutor Sarah Tilbrook, a former aerospace engineer who was recruited from working in a supermarket, to promote its operations.

As part of the day, Bradford-based Yorkshire Water hosted free education sessions at its Headingley water treatment works to show what it has to offer female pupils looking to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

Around 265 year six and seven girls learned about the career paths from female employees at Yorkshire Water and questioned graduates and apprentices who work in operational roles about their experiences.

They had a guided tour of the site to see how water is cleaned and supplied as fresh drinking water.

Shilpi Arora, Yorkshire Water talent advisor, said, “We want to inspire female students in primary school and year seven of upper school to consider careers in engineering, science, technology and maths.We hope that these sessions encouraged female students to consider these roles.”