Filtronic links with Leeds

Filtronic links with Leeds

Keywords Engineering, Competitiveness,Skills shortages

A rapidly-expanding technology business has set up its own postgraduate training scheme to tackle the shortage of specialist engineers.

Filtronic, which specialises in microwave engineering for the telecommunications and defence industries, has started a three-year MSc course for 22 employees. The course aims to top up the skills of the company's graduate engineers. One reason for setting up the programme was the shortage of people with the necessary expertise in physics and mathematics.

The course, accredited by Leeds University's school of electronic and electrical engineering, will be delivered at Filtronic premises in Shipley, West Yorkshire, by Leeds University lecturers, supplemented by Filtronic employees.

Filtronic is the latest of several companies to announce educational programmes as part of efforts to boost competitiveness. Others include Swedish furniture company Ikea and the US industrial conglomerate United Technologies.