PUTTING ENGINEERING ON YOUNGSTERS’ RADAR
Crisis, shortage, gap, shortfall – however you refer to the lack of available talent within the UK’s engineering and manufacturing sector, the effects are the same. Every company within the industry is acutely aware of how difficult it is to recruit and retain qualified, experienced staff. But for firms situated within London’s commuter belt, luring prospective employees away from the capital and the inflated salaries it offers is an especially difficult challenge. Coding and marking specialist Rotech is an
SME based in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire. Just 20 miles north of London and well served with good public transport links – it is prime commuter territory. The average house price in Hertfordshire is £507,000, and at 3.1%, the county’s unemployment rate is 25% lower than the UK average. Combine this with the challenges facing
engineering and manufacturing in general, and you have a perfect storm. An astonishing 203,000 people with level 3+ engineering skills are needed every year to meet demand through to 2024 – the annual shortfall is currently 59,000. And despite government programmes such as the Apprenticeship Levy, it’s very much up to individual companies themselves to address the skills crisis. Apprenticeship starts have actually fallen by 24% since the introduction of the levy, at the same time as three-quarters of firms are engaging with young people in education. Faced with these issues, Rotech has made
creating a local talent pipeline an essential part of their business strategy. “The skills shortage is an issue across the board in engineering. This is a hard discipline and it can be tough to encourage young people into the sector,” said Director Richard Pether. “Situated on the doorstep of London, it can be even harder for us to find qualified engineers. So it’s really important that we build relationships early with local young people, to sell the benefits of a career in engineering with a neighbouring, forward-thinking SME like ourselves.” Rotech has taken a pro-active approach
when it comes to engaging with young people. For a number of years now, company representatives have gone out to local schools and colleges to speak directly to pupils and teachers; have taken part in the ‘Insight into Industry’ conference at a local Academy; and have held open days at their facility, all of which
Attracting more girls into engineering is vitally important
have helped to put engineering on young people’s future career radar. Since strengthening their links in 2016 with
nearby Marlborough Science Academy in St Albans, three pupils have joined Rotech as apprentices. The latest recruit is 18-year old Miguel Mari, who is now working as an Apprentice Engineer. “The open day helped me to realise before taking my GCSEs that it was possible to take a non-traditional route into engineering and that there is a lack of qualified applicants with the necessary practical skills,” said Mari. “Working for a smaller enterprise means you get to try new things and can take part in projects across different areas, and see them through from start to finish.” Rotech is also keen to challenge the
perception that engineering is a ‘job for the boys’. Pether said: “Ours is an industry at the forefront of the digital revolution, and we need people with IT, maths and science skills; these can just as easily be females as males.” Indeed, despite the fact that 50% of GCSE
physics entrants were girls, and that 91% of these achieved grades A*-C (compared to 90.5% of boys), the 2018 State of Engineering report found that boys are still far more likely than girls to consider a career in engineering; so attracting more girls into the industry is vitally important. Finally, it’s worth bearing in mind that for
both women and men, engineering can be a highly lucrative career choice. At almost £48,000, the average engineer’s salary is more than £20,000 higher than the national average of £27,271. By targeting local talent early and showcasing the benefits of a career in engineering, Rotech is stepping out of London’s shadow, and has a bright future of its own.
www.rotechmachines.com
OFFICIAL OPENING OF ENGINEERING SERVICE CENTRE
Following significant investment in the UK market, Brammer Buck & Hickman celebrated the opening of a new engineering service centre in Aylesford, Kent on Wednesday, March 13th. The centre offers a specialist workshop, repair and engineering services designed to reduce downtime and increase efficiency for customers nationwide. The centre was officially opened by Brammer Buck & Hickman CEO Mark Dixon. Live gearbox and motor refurbishment
demonstrations were held throughout the day, along with a demonstration of Condition Monitoring services including vibration analysis, ultrasonic equipment and laser alignment. The event also showcased Invend - Brammer
Buck and Hickman’s Industrial Vending solution. Demonstrated by regional key account manager, Matt Newland, customers got the chance to see Invend in action as well as receive in-depth knowledge on how to implement this solution within their premises. Peter Burrows, regional director of Brammer
Buck & Hickman said: “By inviting customers to experience all the services we offer first hand, we can really connect with them and show them that we really do provide more than just parts.” Four Engineering Centres are now fully
operational, with more to follow over the coming months.
www.brammerbuckandhickman.com
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CONFIGURATION IN A FEW CLICKS
STOBER Drives has released its new online Configurator, an tool that allows Motion Control and Power Transmission drive designers and engineers to create their own drive specification in real time. Using the new Configurator, specifiers can create many
different configurations, integrating products from the STOBER motion product portfolio, with just a few clicks. Once the specifier has used the fast and easy
configuration interface to build the optimum drive for their needs, the data and drawings can then be downloaded, and a quote requested from STOBER. The Configurator has the most popular 3rd party servo
motor brands inside for quick selection of a STOBER gear unit to suit, or you can take the complete STOBER Geared Motor Solution. This latest development is part of STOBER’s strategy to
provide customers with comprehensive support through its digital services. It allows mechanical and design engineers to save a considerable amount of time, as until now, they had to gather and compare extensive manufacturer- specific documents. Now, they can use this online tool to quickly and easily construct the right solution from gear units, geared motors, motors, drive controllers, motion controllers and matching software. Numerous filters and comparison options are available within the online Configurator to make the design easy. For example, users can compare components by price,
power density, backlash, speed, and depending on which filter is set, the best solution is displayed automatically. Users can then configure this result to suit their specific project needs. In the case of geared motors, for example, users will find a selection of versions for the output shaft or hollowbore, housing and even mounting position. Within the Configurator software, design engineers can
also gain direct access to technical data sheets, as well as dimensional drawings and 3D models for immediate download. Selected items can then be quoted directly from STOBER for your application. The finished selection can also be saved for later use and shared with others. To try out the new STOBER Configurator, please go to
https://configurator.stober.com
PROCESS & CONTROL | APRIL 2019 5
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