Nearly 100 new jobs have been created over the past year in the Isle of Man Aerospace Cluster, which is made up of 21 local firms.

The Cluster now employs 881 engineers and support staff, a six per cent increase on this time last year. The news was announced at the organisation's quarterly forum held at the Nunnery in Douglas.

The Department of Economic Development's political member for manufacturing, Leonard Singer said: 'These are very encouraging job figures. The growth is particularly impressive given it has been achieved despite the unfortunate closure of CVI Technical Optics with the loss of 41 jobs. I am delighted that virtually all affected individuals were able to find alternative employment within this strong and growing Cluster.

'In addition, several member firms have had a number of staff retire over the past year. Once you take these factors into account, nearly 100 new jobs have been filled in the Cluster alone over the past year. These are very impressive figures and prove that the Isle of Man continues to be an attractive location for those looking for long term, well-paid careers in engineering.'

The government says it is focusing on supporting the manufacturing sector. This year's Budget saw nearly ?1million provided for a dedicated engineering training centre of excellence at Hills Meadow. It means 36 people can take an apprenticeship in engineering from September this year. Already, more than 70 people have registered an interest in this course.

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