Comment Magazine Issue 5

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High tech and high value - manufacturing on the South Coast Steel works aside, recent reports of the demise of UK manufacturing have been greatly exaggerated, as Hayley Bevis explains following September’s meeting of the Manufacturing Business Leaders’ Forum. UK manufacturing is undergoing something of a renaissance. That might surprise many who could be forgiven for believing, following years of press reports on the closures of factories and heavy industry on the South Coast and the rise of a service economy, that we no longer make anything any more. The South Coast has long had a tradition of heavy manufacturing, with ship building, aerospace and automotive perhaps the first to spring to mind. And whilst it is true that some of this has relocated or moved offshore over the years, a new breed of manufacturers have taken its place. Manufacturers that have taken their production facilities offshore are now beginning to bring them onshore again due to quality control and intellectual property issues. The current fluctuation in the exchange rate is also reported to be a driver for a boost in UK manufacturing activity, with the price of UK goods seen as a benefit to those overseas. High tech, high value and low volume, and low value, high volume and highly skilled. That is how manufacturing on the South Coast is characterised, working in sectors as diverse as marine, oil, agriculture and information technology. Today, UK manufacturing contributes £6.7trillion to the global economy, employing some 2.6million people and accounting for 54 per cent of all UK exports. The UK is the 11th largest manufacturing economy in the world. Coffin Mew, together with NatWest Bank and accountants Grant Thornton, celebrate and support manufacturers along the South Coast with a regular roundtable discussion for manufacturing business leaders. Meeting four times a year, the Manufacturing Business Leaders’ Forum provides a platform for directors and senior managers of manufacturing and engineering businesses to discuss topical issues, share industry best practice and learn from other likeminded businesses. The Manufacturing Business Leaders’ Forum met on 6 September and the hot topic that morning was whether today’s workforce would deliver tomorrow’s growth. Many engineering and manufacturing businesses report 8
an ageing work force and a lack of skilled junior staff entering into the job market. It is, companies report, one of the biggest challenges they face, as well as how to retain the talented individuals that they currently employ. Yet it isn’t a challenge that has gone unnoticed. The market is responding, with a renewed interest in the apprenticeship route and with the Government set to introduce the apprenticeship levy on 6 April 2017. Eastleigh College, speaking at the Forum, currently offers some 4,000 apprenticeships each year, and has just started work on a new £12million advanced technology centre to house those undertaking new engineering and manufacturing apprenticeships. Some manufacturers at the Forum also work closely with the new breed of University Technical Colleges in Portsmouth and Salisbury, where 14-year-olds undertake engineering career orientated study that mixes academic qualifications with handson working experience. Students, wearing suits and ties, study from 9am till 5pm, in an environment that is very different from the traditional classroom. They work closely with industry and get hands-on experience in the latest technologies, such as 3D printing. There remains, however, more deep rooted challenges for employers. Manufacturing is still seen by many as a ‘dirty’ industry, with parents often pushing children towards university. Businesses need to be able to ‘sell the future’ to potential and future employees. This will include showing a greater degree of career progression, and rewarding staff who bring bright or valuable ideas to their employers. The idea of ‘super guru salaries’ was discussed as a way of rewarding the brightest and the best talent. Motivating staff and encouraging team work in the workplace is high on the minds of employers. The cost of looking after employees is, of course, always going to be easier and cheaper than recruiting. A common approach is the workplace forum, where information and concerns are shared. Other initiatives include family days, where employees and their families get together for games, fun and food, employee of the month schemes with simple rewards such as a priority car parking space, and regular social events. Many manufacturers continue to recruit from overseas, and that too can present challenges. Some will provide English language classes and additional training. However, the increasing tough stance on immigration and the recent EU referendum decision has created much uncertainty. Contact us direct Hayley Bevis Senior Associate Solicitor 023 9236 4321 hayleybevis@coffinmew.co.uk Thinking Space Thinking Space is a South Coast manufacturing success story, and a world leader in providing specialist control consoles for air traffic controllers, CCTV operators, broadcasters, recording studios and the emergency services. Based in Romsey, Hampshire, and with offices in the US, Canada and Australia, Thinking Space has developed its own bespoke extrusion process, creating truly beautiful, fully customisable furniture for specialist operators. The business was established in 2002 by Wayne Palmer, whilst working as a sales rep for an engineering company in Switzerland. “One of my then clients had to throw away an almost new piece of furniture to accommodate new technology,” says Wayne. “It was then that I realised there had to be a better way for businesses with specialist furniture needs to operate.” Wayne’s first prototype was developed in his dining room from that discarded piece of furniture, followed quickly into a local farmer’s barn where the business flourished. Several moves later, and expansion overseas, Thinking Space now employs 37 people. Engineering and a passion for UK manufacturing is in Wayne’s blood. He is a big fan of the apprenticeship route into industry, taking one apprentice every year, but all too often is met by opposition from parents who believe university is the only route. “We have struggled to find good apprentices,” explains Wayne, “not because teenagers do not want to work for us, but from their parents who want their children to go to university. There is a real misconception that apprenticeships are second rate, and that is simply not the case. An apprenticeship offers an internationally recognised qualification whilst working. Our apprentices will not have a huge debt following their studies, and get to work on some pretty exciting projects.” Apprenticeships are coming out of the university shadow, and that is thanks to businesses like Thinking Space and its inspiring founder Wayne Palmer. Visit www.thinking-space.com 9
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Page 3 and 4: Issue 5 in this issue... 06 At home
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