The Purchasing Managers’ Index from Lloyds TSB shows further growth in the East of England this year, with rises in output and employment levels for the fifth consecutive month in April, and orders reportedly increasing at their fastest in the fifteen months since January 2012.  This sees the combined output for the region’s manufacturing and services sectors at 51.5 in April, up from 50.4 the previous month.  The growth is driven by companies like Aquaterra Energy, headquartered in Norwich, which is investing heavily in innovation and skills, supplying sophisticated products and services for the global oil and gas industry, and creating exciting career opportunities for budding engineers, in particular.

Patrick Phelan, managing director of Aquaterra Energy, said: “Our specialist engineering services are in high demand and, with the order book looking very strong, we’re recruiting across our business to enable growth and uninterrupted supply in line with demand.”