Prince Charles In British Industry Warning

Prince Charles is to warn that Britain is in danger of losing its reputation as the "standard bearer of quality manufacturing and engineering" if more young people are not attracted into the industries.

The Prince of Wales will deliver his speech during a visit to the Jaguar Land Rover production plant at Halewood on Merseyside.

He will say: "As a country, we are rightly proud of our industrial heritage, but we should also celebrate our continued success as the standard bearer of quality manufacturing and engineering throughout the world.

"From car production to quality shoe-making, from precision engineering to traditional craft skills, Britain is truly a global leader."

But he will stress that this reputation is at stake if the country does not attract more young people into manufacturing and engineering in the future.

The Prince is carrying out a series of visits over two days to champion the 'Best of British' engineering and manufacturing in the UK.

He will also launch Industrial Cadets, a national initiative backed by the Department for Communities and Local Government to encourage young people to join manufacturing industries.

The idea stemmed from discussions between the Prince and Tata Steel in 2010 and is being run by the education charity EDT.

Industrial Cadets aims to raise aspirations for students aged 12 to 14 by building awareness of manufacturing industry in their local area.