Semta encourages youngsters into ‘inspirational’ career

Cook made the call on a visit to MACH 2014 – the UK's largest event for manufacturing technologies at Birmingham NEC – where he also did a presentation on the challenges facing industry. "The first piece of advice I have to give is to work hard – you never get anywhere if you don't put in the effort – but believe me engineering is a fantastic career," said Cook. "I have worked for over 40 years in engineering, starting off as an apprentice sparky working through college then through university and I have been very lucky to be able to use the skills that I got right at the very beginning of my apprenticeship in engineering and then into general management. It's a great, inspirational career." Cook said a career in engineering or manufacturing wasn't for everybody, but there were tremendous opportunities. He added: "We are going to need in excess of one million young people by 2020 – that is scientists, technologists and engineers so it is a great opportunity. There is a high degree of job satisfaction and you get to work with some fantastic people all around the world." Cook was recently recruited by business secretary Vince Cable as lead non-executive board member for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills. Semta is the sector skills council for science, engineering and manufacturing technologies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icnGxmW6NvY