Grainger & Worrall looks to sustain skills base with new trainee programme

SHROPSHIRE castings firm Grainger & Worrall has announcement a long-term commitment to sustaining its skills base through an enhanced trainee recruitment programme.

The five-year programme will effectively double the business’ engineering team and will see the appointment of a minimum of four new graduates and eight apprentices annually.

The company said the launch of the scheme followed on from its multi-million pound investment in its UK facilities, which has seen the expansion of its engineering and production capacity.

Edward Grainger, director of Grainger & Worrall, said: “We are an innovative British high-value manufacturer, committed to delivering exceptional solutions for a global market, identifying talented staff and expanding our recruitment pool is essential. At Grainger & Worrall, we’re committed to not only discovering these individuals, but also developing their abilities in a fast-paced environment.”

The business plays an instrumental role in the design and supply of powertrain components for the world’s most desirable vehicles. 

Black Country manufacturers encouraged to pursue engineering degree 

MANUFACTURING companies in the Black Country are being encouraged to sign up for new degree programmes at the University of Wolverhampton.

The Black Country Skills Factory is working with the university to provide subsidies of up to £2,000 off course fees for High Value Manufacturing companies in the area wishing to enrol employees on a BEng (Hons) in Manufacturing Engineering.

The new accelerated two-year BEng Manufacturing Engineering degree programme, which aims to up-skill the workforce and enable employees within the sector to gain a career-enhancing qualification, was officially launched at the university’s ‘Manufacture a Career in Engineering’ event.

The Black Country Skills Factory is an employer-led project supported by government funding whose aim is to address the skills shortages in the HVM sector in the Black Country, the only scheme of this kind across the UK to focus specifically on the HVM sector.

Following feedback from HVM companies in the Black Country, the Skills Factory worked in partnership with the university to develop the course delivery structure and funding to make it more accessible for companies to accelerate the up-skilling of their workforce and encourage additional sign up of candidates. 

High cost of energy threatening investment in aluminium sector industry

INVESTMENT in Britain’s aluminium sector is being held back by the high cost of energy, industry representatives have told a Government Minister.

Members of the Aluminium Federation (ALFED) have warned Minister for Business and Energy Michael Fallon that soaring green taxes are standing in the way of investment-led growth.

ALFED said that world demand for aluminium is forecast to double from 40m tonnes per annum to 80m tonnes by 2025. It said if Britain and the European Union remain wedded to high taxes on energy, then manufacturers and suppliers would look to other economies in which to base production operations.  

One factor likely to produce an increase in demand is the increasing use of aluminium by car manufacturing due to its weight-saving potential and the effect this can have on fuel economy.

Jaguar Land Rover is using the metal extensively in the production of the all-new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport; the latter has seen a 420kg weight reduction compared to the model it replaces.

JLR is even contemplating a new venture in Saudi Arabia for the production of aluminium components.

ALFED CEO Will Savage said after meeting Mr Fallon at Westminster: “We really appreciate the Minister taking the time to listen to our concerns and sincerely hope that the message we delivered will make an impact amongst the UK’s top policymakers.”