The MP for North Warwickshire & Bedworth has praised a new partnership programme being offered at Coventry University. Craig Tracey has urged local young people to consider applying for the opportunity to study at the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering (AME). Part-funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the collaboration between Unipart Manufacturing Group and Coventry University brings together the best in academia, industry and R&D in a ‘live’ manufacturing environment. AME can accommodate 30 new students ever year and offers them the opportunity to work towards their BEng and MEng degrees by giving them access to cutting-edge technology, Unipart engineers and leading professors – all carried out on real world manufacturing projects. They have also been involved in the institute’s impressive R&D facility, including working on developing new fuel rails for Ford and a lightweight exhaust system for a luxury vehicle manufacturer. Craig Tracey MP, a member of the Business Innovation and Skill Committee, visited the institute at Coventry University and commented: “This joint venture between Coventry University and Unipart not only offers a degree with practical experience but a real local opportunity for employment and a career in an exciting sector. It is a really impressive facility for our region offering high-tech skills learning. If you are a young person finishing school with an interest in engineering then I urge you to take a look at the program.” Dr Carl Perrin, Director of AME, added his support: “Manufacturing has a very real issue with the skills gap and the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing and Engineering offers an innovative blueprint that will deliver more industry-ready graduates. “We have developed a very exciting course and are currently delivering live manufacturing learning to 60 students, with a further 30 set to join in the next cohort. “When our students move into employment they will be a year ahead of their peers on traditional degree courses and ready to make an immediate positive impact to their employer.” He concluded: “The UK’s first ‘Faculty on the Factory Floor’ is definitely a model that could be reciprocated in other regions and specialising in other sectors – a possible solution for bridging the skills gap.” For further information on AME, please visit www.ame.co.uk or follow @ame_uk on twitter