“It is absolutely vital we do all that we can to close the skills gap as the workforce ages and birth rates fall,” adds Sarah Sillars, chief executive of Semta, the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies. “As a country, we need to take a new approach to getting our messages into the heart of the education system and it is very positive that Siemens has recognised the need to cultivate UK talent for future prosperity and economic growth. The portal really could be a game-changer in the way in which businesses interact with the education system.”