34 manufacturing roundtable ... continued from previous page
interesting by technical graduates. “The excitement of working in manufacturing has gone to a certain extent, in my opinion.“
There was an obvious need to “bring back the kudos and appeal of a career working in UK manufacturing.“
In other countries, Germany for example, qualified engineers are still widely respected as skilled professionals, he added.
Campkin highlighted how much manufacturing had changed. Old-style engineering departments and drawing offices were now the IT and computer- aided design (CAD) divisions of companies. “The engineers are there, they are just not going into what we would call traditional engineering.
It’s all software and apps technology now.“
How do we attract tomorrow’s manufacturers?
Langley championed hands-on training from a young age as a solution to the manufacturing skills shortage. Her clients seemed to be adopting that view too, with many prepared to accept apt candidates willing to be trained up through apprentice or intern levels. “That’s an interesting change. Candidates with ability to apply themselves, but not necessarily with degree level education.“
Walker: “Maybe kids building things is not perceived as ’cool’, and being on a computer game is?“
Some manufacturing areas were recruiting successfully, he noted. A precision- engineering client in the prestige automotive and F1 sector had invested £10 million in a new South Coast factory and was aiming to recruit 120 skilled staff.
It
was successfully gaining 10 new staff every month. “But they are in a ’sexy’ space, and that’s what people are interested in doing.“
Taylor Made Computer Solutions recruitment and appeal as a great employer to work for is made easier by the company’s wide client base providing a variety of sectors in which staff could work, plus its support for staff career training.
Arnott added that the UK’s service-driven economy needed to be rebalanced with more emphasis on manufacturing, driven by re-focused education from a young age.
Langley felt that ’manufacturing’ as a word sounds very outdated, although it was recognised internationally.
“Manufacturing needs a re-brand,“ announced Arnott. “What manufacturing is now is very different from what it was 20 years ago and there are wrong perceptions among younger people of the type of jobs out there.
“We don’t start early enough to redress those preconceptions. and university.“
It’s too late at college
Arnott continued: “Excellent work was being done through CEMAST (Centre of Excellence in Engineering, Manufacturing and Advanced Skills Training) at Fareham, but regionally there were major differences at all levels between the academic and career programmes.
Campkin fully supported apprenticeships. “We need to start getting in apprentices earlier and preparing them for our world of work, and that’s not just in our manufacturing side.“
Gemma Langley
Steele said his wife, a teacher, was frustrated by the academic focus on achieving specified grades, when they plainly knew some pupils had outstanding talents in other subjects. “It comes back to the early capture and harnessing of natural skillsets. I know the Government would love us all to be high- fliers, but we need all levels of work to be filled.“
Wright noted: “It’s almost frowned upon when a six or seven year old is found quietly playing with Lego and are told they should be reading a book.“ Recognising and capturing talent pre-eleven was key.
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Walker said offering apprenticeships was attractive and valuable to all concerned, but establishing a clear skill development structure and potential career progression opportunities was essential. Having “grown through your business“ apprentices also tended to be more loyal than other recruits.
How do we harness Generation Y talent?
Campkin: “Academia is not preparing people for business.
If you are recruiting
graduates, you will have to train them how to work.
“The reality is that we won’t be able to do that for Generation Y. They are who they are and we are certainly struggling to understand how to harness what is
Quality and innovation leading to more reshoring
Echoing earlier comments about manufacturing gaining overseas investment
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – DECEMBER 15/JANUARY 16 Graham Steele
undoubtedly a great deal of creativity, but wrapped up in a very different package.“
Sachpekidis’ experiences at academic career fairs had proved enlightening and concerning. Though younger students were excited and impressed by his company’s automotive and Wimbledon engineering links, he could gain no interest from college student millenials. “How do you capture their attention, engage with them? Surely it’s not possible for kids of that age not to have an interest in creativity?“
Equally, one of his previous employers offered to give work insights to schools and colleges, but this brought scant interest from the education sector. “It was disappointing and surprising how few picked up on this free offer from our company.“
The education and business world needed to make children understand that manufacturing was ’cool’ and could provide a career to be proud of. Somehow ambition and interest was sucked out of youngsters and they became ’Kevin the teenager,’ Steele commented.
Campkin mentioned a TED lecture by Sir Ken Robinson that focused on today’s outdated curricula. “The world doesn’t need what the education system provided in Victorian times, and today we are set up to deliver what isn’t working for this generation of kids.“
Arnott agreed: “Kids are coming out with high-flying qualifications but their commerciality is not there. They are losing it somewhere, or they have never been taught it in the first place.“
Steele said Diametric assisted its employee engagement by providing internal work experience for its staff – placing them short- term in other departments to understand and appreciate the work their colleagues undertook. The initiative also provided informed staff cover for absences through illness or holidays.
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