Institution's response to the Spring Statement

Peter Finegold, Head of Education and Skills at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, comments on the Government’s Spring Statement:

“We welcome the Chancellor’s plan to bring forward the £700 million package for companies to use the apprenticeship levy with greater flexibility, including passing on some of their levy investment to their supply chains.

Equally, his commitment to exempt PhD roles for visa caps will contribute to maintaining the UK’s world-leading position for research. This will not, however, address persistent shortages of highly skilled technicians that engineering employers continue to face.”

Notes to Editors

• Contact the Institution of Mechanical Engineers’ Press Office on 020 7973 1261 or email media@imeche.org
• The Institution of Mechanical Engineers was established in 1847 and has some of the world’s greatest engineers in its history books. It is one of the fastest growing professional engineering institutions. Headquartered in London, we have operations around the world and over 120,000 members in more than 140 countries working at the heart of the most important and dynamic industries such as the automotive, rail, aerospace, medical, power and construction industries. www.imeche.org