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News Release from: The Manufacturer Live
Edited by the Manufacturingtalk Editorial
Team on 26 July 2005
Skills to top Manufacturing Summit
agenda
The UK Government's focus on getting 50% of youngsters to go to university is contributing to the skills shortage in engineering and manufacturing, according to a top UK manufacturing group.
The UK Government's focus on getting 50% of youngsters to go to university is contributing to the skills shortage in engineering and manufacturing, according to a top UK manufacturing group The Manufacturing Alliance says that too many graduates are coming out of university with 'soft' qualifications in arts subjects resulting in a shortage of people with engineering and vocational craft skills
This article was originally published on Manufacturingtalk on 20 Jul 2005 at 8.00am (UK)
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This was one of the main findings of a special meeting of the Alliance called 'Skills for Manufacturing' held at JCB in Staffordshire.
The Alliance also concluded that there needs to be more Government-backed promotional activity to encourage young people into skilled engineering jobs, and more emphasis on higher NVQ qualifications.
They also called for more joined-up thinking to deliver results from existing training structures rather than inventing new ones, and better signposting for employers.
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The urgency of the skills issue and the Alliance's findings have forced the subject high up the agenda for The Manufacturer Live 2005 event to be held at the International Centre, Telford in September.
The two day event will be attended by more than 2000 manufacturing decision makers who will hear from more than 50 speakers from leading companies hosting workshops, seminars and debates on UK manufacturing's big issues.
There will be a series of seminars and workshops on skills and human resource issues on both days with input from Airbus, Coca-Cola, Land Rover and Jaguar, Unilever and SBAC.
Glen White, group chief executive of Conquest Business Media which organises the Telford event said the skills issue was one of the major challenges facing manufacturing today.
"The performance of skills agencies and providers is patchy".
"The route to them for companies seeking help, or for parents and youngsters is not clear".
"Changing frameworks is too often used as a substitute for delivering quality results through existing structures," he said.
The Manufacturer Live 2005 is set to be even bigger and better than last year's event.
Senior figures from BAE Systems, Unipart, Siemens, Airbus UK, Rolls Royce, Microsoft, Red Bull Racing and Boots will be among more than 50 speakers delivering presentations on all aspects of the manufacturing process.
The event, which is sponsored by Barclays and supported by the DTI, will be held at the Telford International Centre on September 28 and 29.
It will offer manufacturers the chance to learn from their peers and share their own best practice, and will include the prestigious Manufacturer of the Year Awards.
The presentations and exhibitions will be based around the 'seven pillars' of manufacturing excellence: leadership and strategy, design and innovation, world class manufacturing, skills and HR, logistics and supply chain, IT in manufacturing and manufacturing operations.
Andy Martin, head of UK manufacturing at Barclays said the bank was delighted to be the corporate sponsor of The Manufacturer Live 2005".
""As the leading bank covering the UK manufacturing industry, we are committed to helping the industry grow and remain competitive on a global scale".
"We believe The Manufacturer Live is the perfect forum for people who share both this commitment and the desire to promote and share best practice".
"This year's event is particularly important given the current challenges facing the industry, and we are very pleased to be associated with it." Confirmed speakers at the event already include Alastair Reid of BAE Systems, Derek Thomason, general manager of Unipart, Tony Lorne of Airbus UK, Nigel Wood of Boots, Neil Eardley from Siemens, Paul Lester, CEO at VT Group and Lawrence Jenkins from Rolls Royce procurement.
There will also be presentations by senior people from Linklockers who were last year's Manufacturer of the Year in the leadership category, design and innovation category winners e2v technologies, Coca-Cola, Dairy Crest Aeromet, Weir Pumps, Hamworthy Combustion, Red Bull Racing, Johnson, Richco, Snap On Tools, Jaguar and Land Rover.
At the end of the first day, the event is punctuated with the culmination of The Manufacturer Awards 2005, a benchmark awards programme recognising excellence in the seven pillars of manufacturing, with additional sector awards for automotive, aerospace and process.
The awards will be presented at a 750 seat gala dinner.
The winner of winners award for Manufacturer of the Year was won last year by BAE Systems, Edinburgh.
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