Skills are the hottest topic in manufacturing as the industry struggles to keep up
SUSTAINING growth across the manufacturing sector remains of critical importance to the recovering UK economy.
While current work levels continue to fluctuate across the country, one issue above all others remains of concern to the long term health of the industry – skills.
A policy of neglecting skills development in favour of short term survival has left many firms in the difficult position of having to maintain an aging workforce; a legacy of having to retain skills within a business.
One of the main problems is attracting young people into the industry, especially as many are blinded by outdated prejudices of what modern manufacturing is like.
Even sectors as successful as the automotive industry are finding it hard to attract new recruits, a situation which is prompting many firms to call for a root-and-branch review of educational policy to ensure schools can teach future generations that a career in the manufacturing sector does mean a dead-end profession in a dirty factory.
Many manufacturers want to go into primary schools and convince the next generation of employees that a career in manufacturing is one that should be aspired to.
A greater focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) will help improve the situation, as will more specialist academies such as that developed by excavator manufacturer JCB.
Elsewhere, Government initiatives on training and apprenticeship incentives are helping the situation but there is still a long way to go before the UK can boast a self-sustaining manufacturing sector.
TheBusinessDesk.com and international law firm Squire Patton Boggs are currently looking to gauge levels of confidence within the manufacturing sector and to determine what businesses want to see happen over the course of the next 12 months.
A key aspect of this will be a survey, running across all three of our regions, which can be completed here.
It addresses key topics such as skills shortages, the supply chain, education, EU membership, access to finance, energy and re-shoring.
Once complete, we will gather the data and use the insight to set the agenda for a series of round tables in May and June with leaders of manufacturing businesses and sector experts, which will then be published on our website later in the summer.
Karen French, partner at Squire Patton Boggs in Leeds, said: “The difficulty in accessing skilled employers has often been cited as a key issue for manufacturers looking to grow their business.
“Our survey explores what part schools and colleges should play in educating the next generation of manufacturers, to what extent immigration is helping companies deal with hard-to-fill vacancies, and seeks to identify other measures being taken in order to supplement skills challenges.”
Take our Manufacturing Survey 2015 here
