NEWS MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY SURGES AS ACCELERATING RECOVERY TAKES HOLD B


ritain’s manufacturers are accelerating as growth prospects become significantly more positive for the rest of the year, according to a survey published today by Make UK and business advisory firm BDO.


Having seen a brutal 10% decline in output in 2020, the sector is now set to recover a significant amount of that loss in 2021 and outpace the growth of the economy overall. This growth is based on a surge in both domestic and overseas orders which is translating into strong hiring intentions.


Investment intentions have also turned positive for the first since the first quarter of 2020, suggesting that the introduction of the temporary ‘super-deduction tax’ in the Budget is having some impact together with improved growth prospects. However, Make UK stressed that the figures are reflecting a recovery from a very low base with balances last year reaching record lows worse than those seen during the financial crisis. Between 2019 and 2020 the manufacturing sector lost


COMMENT


With a surge in employees working from home due to the pandemic, how do you ensure your deskless/remote workers continue to feel a sense of purpose at work? According to Jordan Ekers at Nudge, deskless workers struggle to create bonds at work, and feel less connected in general (see page 48). Ekers suggests using


communication technology to create personalised communications that encourage feedback and idea- sharing, and help develop a sense of community across the organisation. Technology has been put to


great use to ensure organisations continue to function when workers are dispersed, now is the time to also utilise its potential in keeping workers connected purely for their own well-being. Michelle Lea - Editor


RETHINKING WORK EXPERIENCE OFFERING


S


iemens has transformed its work experience


programme for young people during the pandemic using a virtual delivery platform. Like many other companies,


Siemens had to cancel and postpone in-person events. It used the challenge to redesign and rethink its work experience strategy and programme offering, overcoming the limitations and barriers of conventional work experience placements. Partnering with Springpod, a


careers platform which connects young people with employers and education providers, Siemens launched a bespoke and interactive, two- week programme, which included modules filled with activities, pre-recorded videos, quizzes and live webinars. The first two-week virtual


work experience programme introduced 700 young people to the world of engineering and technology. A second round for 14 to 18-year-olds will run from June 28 until July 11.


https://www.springpod.co.uk /experience/siemens- virtual-work-experience


approximately £18bn in value which will take more than a short- term boost of pent-up demand to return the sector to its pre-pandemic size.


Yet, Make UK forecasts do suggest, assuming vaccine effectiveness is strong, that manufacturing output levels will return to pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2022. That is earlier than previous forecasts had suggested.


According to the survey the balance on output improved to +36% from +9% in Q1 which is the highest balance in the survey’s 30 year history. Looking forward, output is expected to continue to improve with a forecast balance of +46% in Q3, which would be another record high.


As a result of the surge in growth, Make UK has upgraded its growth forecast for manufacturing from +3.9% to +7.8%, ahead of its forecast for GDP overall of +7.5%. The survey of 276 companies was conducted between 5 and 26 May. www.makeuk.org


He slammed the current lack of quality careers advice for school leavers during a recent global webinar, and made the case that preparing today’s youth for careers in manufacturing was essential for closing the industry’s growing skills gap. The webinar was organised by Merseyside-based valve


manufacturer Heap & Partners. Panellists attending the webinar – Manufacturing Education –


warned the skills gap will only grow larger in a sector which is vital to the UK’s economy, unless the Government acts. Redesigning apprenticeship schemes, showing viable career


paths from STEM subjects, and ensuring teachers are equipped to promote manufacturing in the classroom are some measures the panel agreed would help the sector thrive. UK manufacturing accounts for some £191 billion of output, while


British manufacturers collectively provide 2.7 million jobs. The growing skills gap in the sector means 186,000 skilled individuals need to be hired every year until 2024 to fill the void. Joining Sir Vince Cable on the panel were the Daily Telegraph’s


Education Editor Camilla Turner, and Heap & Partners Managing Director David Millar. Academics sharing their insights included Associate Professor Nadia Kourra, academic lead for NMITE’s Centre for Automated Manufacturing, and Dr Candice Majewski, Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Sheffield. The consensus from the panel was that placing a greater onus on


manufacturing skills in the national curriculum would be crucial to ensuring both the sector and the UK’s economy thrive going forward. The panel highlighted a lack of teacher training, a lack of


engagement with students relating to manufacturing careers, and gender barriers as obstacles preventing today’s youths from choosing a career in the industry. Cable said: “We need to give young people the capacity to learn, so they can learn new skills later in life, and we’re not focused enough on getting the education system orientated in delivering that capacity.” heaps.co.uk


CLOSING THE GROWING SKILLS GAP S


ir Vince Cable and industry experts have urged the Government to put manufacturing skills at the heart of the national curriculum.


4 JUNE 2021 | PROCESS & CONTROL


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