POP mogul Pete Waterman returned to his roots to help with the official ground breaking of the town's University Technical College.

The record producer and railway enthusiast headed to the site on Dallam Lane where construction will now take place on the college specialising in energy and engineering and offering teens the chance to work with major energy and engineering employers based in the town.

But the Stockton Heath man admitted rather than looking forward to seeing the first pupils start in September 2016, he is more excited about them walking out with their qualifications.

He added: "I'm looking forward to the first graduation as that's more important.

"Those first guys who leave here and see where they go is what I'm looking forward to.

"I have banged on about training for more than 15 years and now everyone is saying apprenticeships are important.

"I took a young lad from Warrington Rick Astley into a training scheme and the rest is history.

"If you train people they will achieve their full potential and it baffles me why there has not been more of it."

Recruitment of students for year 10 and year 12 got started this summer ready for the 2016 opening, something the Warrington entrepreneur believes is vital.

He added: "Bringing younger children aged 14 and 15 through is crucial.

"The country is desperate for engineers and a good engineer will earn as much money as a failed popstar.

"They're paying train drivers £100,000 a year and there's good pop stars right now who won't be able to earn that in a year and there's more chance of a job for life so it's important for schools."

Pete adds he believes teachers who have come from an academic background may be the reason more schoolchildren are not choosing engineering as a career as they do not 'understand' the industry.

He added: "I have been to schools in Cheshire where I have been stopped from talking about engineering as they don't want their pupils doing it.

"It's seen as a hard and dirty job but we can't all be accountants.

"I never thought I would be in the music business, I always thought it would be engineering.

"That was my family background and it's a lifelong job.

"I was just fortunate that somewhere along the line I got some musical genes.

"Warrington is one of the fastest growing economies in the UK and people in parliament quite regularly have to be reminded of that.

"There's a future for kids in Warrington in engineering."

During his visit, the former Hitman and Her star signed three bricks from the Mr Smith's demolition site to help raise cash for Warrington Youth Club's new development.

Details of how you can get your hands on one will be in the Warrington Guardian later this year.