Bracknell suffers major shortages in jobs that requires science, maths, engineering or technology qualifications, according to Bracknell and Wokingham college. 

The college has teamed up with WOOP (Worlds of opportunity) to help recruit and train up youngsters in order to fill the employment gaps in the area. 

Bracknell and Wokingham College's statement read: "Berkshire has 42,000 employers looking for these specialist skills. Many report that they struggle to fill vacancies, particularly for jobs in health, energy and the environment.

"Berkshire suffers major shortages in jobs that require science, maths, engineering or technology qualifications. 27% of all jobs in Berkshire are in these fields. 1 in 10 jobs is in digital technology – three times higher than the national average."

WOOP are also hoping to attract youngsters into these specialist fields by way of work experience. 

Carly Grimster, WOOP programme manager, said: “A work placement is an excellent way to discover Berkshire’s real world of opportunity. 

"It can be a way for mature candidates to explore new career options or to retrain, as well as giving young people a taster and a boost to their CV. Work experience often leads to a permanent job.”

WOOP has a wide network of Berkshire based employers who are keen to recruit from the local job-seeking pool, and the network includes Bracknell and Wokingham, Reading, Newbury and East Berkshire Colleges, Central Berkshire Education Business Partnership, Learning to Work and other specialist organisations such as WISE and STEM learning.