Manufacturing Technology Centre and Lloyds Bank join forces to launch SME support service
The Manufacturing Technology Centre and Lloyds Bank have joined forces to offer a package of free support and resources to help UK manufacturing and engineering SMEs embrace innovation, develop their workforce and increase productivity.
The SME Support Service includes advice, guidance and access to additional funding and resources for smaller organisations.
It aims to help SMEs recruit their next generation of apprentices, upskill their existing workforce, and identify opportunities to deploy emerging technologies to solve productivity challenges and improve business performance.
The SME Support Service is the latest initiative in a five year partnership between Lloyds Bank and the MTC’s Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre.
In addition, the SME Apprenticeship Support Service provides financial and practical assistance to help SMEs take on apprentices. The MTC’s training experts will offer one-to-one advice and guidance to help SMEs understand and navigate the complexities of apprenticeship funding, including the Government’s apprentice incentive scheme.
They will also provide a full recruitment service to identify and secure the best talent for each business’s specific needs. Eligible SMEs will have access to salary support funding for the first 12 months of their apprentice’s training.
An SME Training Service is also available to give businesses free access to some of MTC Training’s industry leading courses to help upskill their existing workforces and raise awareness of disruptive technologies.
The MTC’s Manufacturing Support Services complete the programme, delivering free consultations with an expert team to help manufacturers embrace the latest technology and improve quality, cost and delivery performance to drive sustainable growth.
Colin Bancroft, strategic development manager at MTC Training said the new service will help boost industry’s progress and success.
He said: “Our goal is to provide the knowledge, skills and support that industry needs to implement the technology of tomorrow, today. In partnership with Lloyds Bank, the SME Support Service scheme will help us reach even more businesses, delivering real impact and driving positive change to empower the UK to realise its potential in advanced manufacturing.”
David Atkinson, UK head of manufacturing, SME and mid-corporate at Lloyds Bank, said: “Lloyds Bank has supported the UK’s manufacturing sector since it was founded by two industrialists in the Midlands way back in 1865! The sector continues to be an integral part of the long-term sustainable success of the UK economy. The new SME Support Service, in conjunction with the MTC, helps us deliver on our commitment to manufacturers by supporting the UK’s small-to-medium sized businesses recover strongly from the recent impacts of the pandemic.”
