BITA targets next generation of engineers at the Big Bang Fair.

Students stand a chance to win a tablet computer when they visit the BITA Academy's stand at the 2012 Big Bang Fair in Birmingham's NEC this week.

The academy's exhibit will highlight the career options available to today's forklift engineering apprentices.

Its stand, located at GA6 in the "Go Global" zone, near companies like IBM, Rolls-Royce and Siemens, will also offer other promotional items to encourage young visitors to register their interest in apprenticeship via the BITA Academy website.

A tablet computer is the daily prize for youth entering a forklift-themed quiz based on information available at the stand, with winners announced on the academy's website.

Youth visiting the stand can expect to get a virtual insight into the materials handling industry by testing their skills on a Briggs 3D warehouse simulator. As in the real world, success will be down to optimising machine usage and hourly flow rates, avoiding disruptive bottlenecks in the process and keeping a close eye on manpower and machinery costs.

With the forklift industry actively seeking new engineers and recruiting around 200 apprentices a year, the BITA Academy stand will also feature representatives from leading firms including Briggs, Barloworld, Doosan, Mitsubishi and Toyota.

BITA president Tim Waples says: "There are 350,000 forklift trucks currently operating in the UK, playing a vital role in the supply chains that maintain our modern world. Unlike other business sectors, the forklift industry is actively looking out to recruit young people and we are keen to highlight the exciting and rewarding job opportunities available."

Over 45,000 young people are expected to attend the Big Bang Fair, which runs from 15-17 March and is designed to inspire and enthuse the next generation of engineers and scientists.

The BITA Academy, which opened in November 2011, is a dedicated apprenticeship training facility operated in conjunction with City of Bristol College, one of the country's leading automotive training centres.