Engineering has never been regarded as the most important subject in the school curriculum. But it is enjoying something of a renaissance in Bradford and, as T&A reporter Joanne Earp found out, that can only be good news for the local economy.

A GCSE in engineering conjures up images of oily rags, overalls and spanners. The reality is that more and more pupils are opting for the subject - and what's more they don't have to get their hands dirty.

Today, gaining a qualification in engineering can involve anything from designing fold-up furniture and dismantling car parts to putting together a complex circuit board or a remote-controlled car.

As Mike Wright, head of design technology at Thornton Grammar School, Bradford, explained, it's a subject which has undergone a dramatic change in fortunes over the last two decades.

Mr Wright, who has been teaching at the school since 1972, said: "When I first started there were a lot of big engineering firms in the district, and they all had their own training schools. When they died a death, engineering became a dirty word and pupils began to lose interest.

"But that interest has been revived over the last two or three years and the subject is going through a boom period."

It is a boom which has been fuelled to a large extent by new technology with today's pupils able to take advantage of a whole range of hi-tech tools such as Computer Aided Design.

Mr Wright said: "The advent of new technology means you don't have to get your hands dirty and it is no longer about physical strength. And it's safe because a lot of the work is done on computers."

Thornton Grammar already runs an out-of-school technology club three nights a week where pupils can develop their ideas and work on new projects. And next year it hopes to add a specialist engineering module to its list of GCSE options.

Mr Wright said: "In the past it has been seen as a second-rate subject. Now people are beginning to realise that getting pupils interested in engineering is important for industry and the economy.

"And local companies realise they will benefit from the fact more youngsters are leaving school equipped with these specialist skills. These are exciting times."

Dr Bill Lord, head of Nab Wood Grammar School's design and technology faculty, agrees.

"We're one of the few schools in the districts that has always had engineering as an option. It went through the doldrums but over the last few years it has generated a tremendous amount of interest," he said.

This year the school has 54 students in year 10, and 72 students in year 11 all taking engineering. Dr Lord added: "There has long been a shortage of skilled engineers in this country. Now we've got local companies coming to us on a regular basis because they are interested in taking on our school-leavers."

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