German engineering giant Siemens and the University of Salford have launched a one-year BEng degree in Control & Automation to help address the engineering skills shortage affecting UK industry.

The course is available to both apprentices and those with the appropriate Level 5 engineering qualification and experience.

Jason Phin, an Apprentice Scheme Co-ordinator for Siemens UK & Ireland, said: “At Siemens, we have long championed the role of apprentices and the importance of training new engineers and encouraging more of them to go into UK industry.

“We’ve done this by working in close partnership with a number of Further and Higher Education
facilities, and the development of this degree represents a unique collaboration between the education sector and industry.

“As the impact of digitisation continues to shape the UK’s industrial future, it is crucial that we have the skills to support it. For this reason, we wanted to ensure that this degree was not just an academic solution that we would endorse but would offer the practical skills required by the engineers of tomorrow.”

Professor Richard Stephenson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Salford, said: “We have a strong reputation of working closely with industry, and I’m delighted we are collaborating with Siemens to offer a programme that will equip participants with industry-specific understanding to enhance their skill-set and further their career in engineering.”

Last year, Siemens joined forces with the University of Salford and Trafford College to develop education and training programmes for school-leavers to degree level.