Electronics and software solutions supplier, Like Technologies, has launched an initiative to help young people access skilled careers as youth unemployment in the UK hits the highest levels in 11 years.

Like Technologies has a skilled team of hardware and software engineers who work collaboratively on a number of on-going projects with the nuclear industry and an office and administration team to support that. The nuclear engineering business has thus partnered with the Lancashire & Cumbria Institute of Technology (L&C IoT) to tackle the growing youth employment crisis head-on, as new government figures confirm almost one million young people are currently not in employment, education or training.

“I feel strongly about making sure young people have different paths available to them. Electronics as a career path has quietly disappeared from the mainstream. There are well-paid careers in this sector and training pathways to get there, they’re just not talked about enough,” said Kate Houlden, Managing Director at Like Technologies.

Despite record levels of unemployment among 16–24-year-olds, employers in technical and electronic engineering continue to report a critical skills gap – something Like Technologies and the IoT are working to close by introducing more young people to career options available.

The IoT works with colleges, universities and local employers to deliver high-quality technical education for those seeking alternatives to the traditional university route. For Like Technologies, an SME responsible for maintaining and re-engineering the legacy control systems at UK nuclear power stations throughout the UK, including nearby Heysham the partnership is helping to close a skills gap that has long existed in the sector.

The business has already had some success helping young people enter a career in electronics, having already run a free introductory course, in which 45 of 65 participants found employment within six months. Like Technologies has since joined the IoT’s employer panel and is actively exploring an apprenticeship scheme through its links with Blackpool & The Fylde College to help more young people with a career in the sector.

“Like Technologies is a fantastic example of how employer partnerships can make a real difference to young people in our region, at a time when we need it most. As well as creating career pathways, by working directly with local colleges and shaping what is taught, employers can help ensure that young people in the region have a genuine route into skilled, well-paid careers. That is exactly the kind of collaboration the IoT was created to support,” added Linda Dean, Managing Director of the L&C IoT.