AN eye-catching marketing campaign to help spice-up the image of engineering is being launched in Pendle.

Girls are being targeted in the latest bid to attract them into the new career path.

An all-girl pop group, who are featured on campaign literature have been lined up to help detract from the usual boring image of engineering.

The group made up of young apprentices is behind the drive by Pendle Training to attract more women into the stereotypical male career.

Teenagers aged between 16-18 throughout East Lancashire are being targeted in the campaign.

The initiative is highlighting the varied opportunities now available in engineering and the big part that new technology plays in the occupation.

Andrea Ridehalgh, programme manager, said: "Although an engineering apprenticeship isn't the first thing girls think of when leaving school, I hope the campaign will persuade them to give it a second look.

"If you like making things and being creative, its ideal, engineering is high tech too, so girls could be drawing in 3D on a computer aided design system."

The campaign will include a series of open days, demonstrations and school workshops throughout 2003, showing what engineering is all about.

Mark Roberts, marketing manager at Northern Technologies, said: "We are in the process of sending out postcards to all school leavers in a bid to promote the campaign.

"It's a really exciting prospect for school leavers, the modern apprenticeship can lead to bigger and better things. We have one person who is going to university this year to study for a degree thanks to the modern apprenticeship.

"At the moment we only have three girls working as apprenticeship engineers in a career which is dominated by a 95 per cent male workforce. We want to change the perceptions for females who want to get involved."

The programme is supported by the Learning and Skills Council Lancashire. For more information contact Pendle Training on 01282 724200.