MHA MacIntyre Hudson: Tackling the skills issue

By Chris Barlow, managing partner at MHA Macintyre Hudson in Birmingham

MHA MacIntyre Hudson has just released the findings from its annual manufacturing and engineering survey. It is always revealing and a reliable gauge to the views of manufacturers in a wide range of disciplines and to the economic landscape they are operating in.

West Midland respondents to the 2015 MHA Manufacturing and Engineering Survey were united in their view that Government needs to assist businesses with the expansion of skills training for the future work force.

Perhaps this is not surprising when many highlighted that issues around skills, resulting in the shortage of experienced engineers and machinists, is a major barrier to growth.

With more than 50% of respondents highlighting this issue – significantly above the national average of 27% – it is, perhaps, a real indicator of difficulties facing West Midlands businesses in particular.

The survey, however, demonstrates that there is some very positive news to celebrate in our region.

Some 78% of businesses expected to see an increase in staff numbers in 2015, significantly above the national average and 60% of these businesses intend to take on apprentices or trainees.

There should not be any great surprise that the skills shortage is something that businesses recorded in this survey and it is not an issue that solely impacts on manufacturing – it cuts across across all sectors.

But it is in the manufacturing sector where I see this issue impacting on business planning close up.

Within the client portfolio at MHA MacIntyre Hudson I have clients where skilled operatives are continuing to work well past a recognised “retirement age” because the skills they have are still in high demand.

How it should best be addressed is, of course, more relevant.

Public and privately funded bodies are attempting to provide answers in this area and this is to be welcomed, but to address the issue further we need to look to earlier stages in education and more work is needed to continue the initiatives that have started to improve the perception and reputation of the sector as a good, sustainable and enjoyable career.

For too long the factory floor has been the threatened destination of those who do not work hard at school, This is not right. It’s about time the factory floor was somewhere our children would want to be and where they would like to build prosperous careers.

Talking to my clients, I never cease to be amazed at the work they are doing: innovating designing, modelling, creating, adapting – it is there in abundance.

Birmingham was once dubbed the city of 1,000 trades and perhaps we are not that now, but we are certainly a city of makers.

Further engagement between industry and schools is vital – as is the identification of a role model for the sector, someone for our children to want to emulate and aspire to away from the obvious route of the footballer or pop star.

It’s time we  pushed forward the many inspirational, talented and dedicated people who make this sector what it is and its time that the mainstream media moved from the 15 minute of fame scenario to what this country is doing unsung, quietly and well every day.

We have some great engineers and manufacturers in this city, let alone in this country, and we should be giving them the praise they deserve.

I am sure then we will be repaid by the generations to come. 

If you would like to discuss an of the matters raised in this column please contact Chris Barlow at chris.barlow@mhllp.co.uk or on 0121 236