West Midlands manufacturers desperate for skills funding, says report
More than two-thirds (67%) of SME manufacturers in the West Midlands are urging the government to help businesses bridge the digital skills gap.
A new report produced by Oxford Innovation Advice has revealed that 70% of companies are looking to ‘digitally upskill’ their staff but are finding the biggest barriers to achieving this are cost and a lack of in-house knowledge.
Based on responses from 73 businesses, Oxford Innovation Advice has developed a policy action plan that it plans to submit to the government to build on successful programmes, such as Made Smarter DigitalAdoption.
The recommendations focus on providing basic-level training and advice to manufacturing SMEs to convert critical analogue data capture processes into digital ones.
Training should also be tailored to include a strong problem-solving focus, which could feature mentoring and one-on-one practical support to help manufacturers trial solutions and digitalise processes.
Finally, it says companies should be involved in the design of business support, whilst also ensuring that programmes are available nationally and connect SMEs to their peers to sustain their digital journey.
Jane Galsworthy, managing director of Oxford Innovation Advice said: “41% of manufacturers in the West Midlands are predicting growth in the next six months and this is great news. However, as the report clearly shows, how many more could be increasing sales and creating jobs if they had more help to improve their digital skills?
“The digital revolution is no longer the preserve of the larger companies, it’s here and needs to be embedded on the shopfloors, in the design hubs and in the offices of our smaller manufacturers.
“What is clear is that SMEs need more Government funding to help make this happen, with two thirds admitting they would accelerate their journey if the right specialist support was in place.
“70% also said they want to upskill their staff, so the appetite is there – we just need to create the right business support environment to make it happen using a combination of more financial grants and practical assistance that ensures firms can embrace digital technologies.”
