City Region Youth to Gain Hands-On Training

Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has awarded St Helens-based Inovus Medical £1m – which they will match – to set up an embedded skills training programme for young people across the city region.

The LCR Innovation Zone Programme is expected to create 8,000 new jobs and attract up to £800m investment to the Liverpool City Region over the next 10 years.

The six-month skills programme will enable participants aged between 16-18 years old to expand their skillset, gain hands-on experience, and benefit from personalised mentorship during a placement at Inovus – with opportunities available in every department from engineering and product development to sales, marketing, and finance.

Following the pilot, the skills programme is set to be extended to six more sites across the city region with a hub in each local authority area providing career opportunities and practical experience for young people.

“I want to inspire the next generation,” Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said. “By giving teenagers the chance to gain hands-on experience in a growing industry and showing them what they can achieve, we’re opening them up to a world of possibilities – and hopefully shaping the scientists of tomorrow.

The skills programme is designed to inspire talented young people by providing new opportunities and career paths that might not otherwise be accessible. Each trainee will be paired with a dedicated Inovus Medical mentor who will support their learning through a combination of work shadowing and practical experience.

Inovus Medical aims to help plug the skills gap identified by Health and Life Sciences businesses operating in the Liverpool City Region. Underrepresented roles include software engineers, product engineers, advanced manufacturing technicians, digital marketing, finance, and sales.