Giving away the family silver

The credit crunch offers an opportunity to redress the balance by sheltering the profession

Your lead story that business is hurt by non-EU migrant cap is a sad reflection on our education system's failing to produce the engineers needed by UK. The rundown of manufacturing, dearth of apprentices and poor appreciation of engineering by the public and politicians are progressively killing off a vital source of income to the country that will be retrospectively seen as a disaster as living standards decline. What fools we are to allow this situation to develop . Even the limited resources that higher education devotes to engineering and the sciences is mainly taken by overseas students and can hardly bode well for UK's future competitiveness. Don't talk about selling the family silver, we are just giving it away.

The credit crunch does offer a marvellous opportunity to somewhat redress the balance by sheltering the profession, education and remaining industry from cuts and make it more differentially attractive before it is too late; or is it too late or a hopeless quest to expect such an awareness to penetrate the thick hide and self-interests of Westminster.

Lyn Bates, Managing Director, Ajax Equipment Ltd