pesmedia.com Production Engineering Solutions July 2024 13 NEWS Want to win work in nuclear? The Nuclear AMRCʼs Fit For Nuclear programme has helped hundreds of UK manufacturers to assess and develop their capabilities for nuclear customers. So far, F4N-granted companies have reported that our support has helped them win more than £2.1 billion of new contracts. We have now enhanced and expanded the F4N programme, with new support to help manufacturers of all sizes to win work across the nuclear sector. namrc.co.uk/services/f4n Skills remain a key priority for manufacturers, with a recent report revealing that training budgets have not been hit by rising inflation. 86% of firms questioned in the annual In-Comm Training Barometer said that their spending intentions have remained unchanged, with more than three quarters investing in new technology to boost productivity – an 8% rise on last year’s findings. The survey, which features the views of 113 bosses, also reveals that 61% are planning to take on an apprentice over the next 12 months. Furthermore, the vast majority (72%) believe that there isn’t enough national government support for training, with 44% wanting better funding for apprenticeships and 39% to boost upskilling. “The last 12 months have been dominated by global pressures outside of industry’s control, with a cocktail of difficulties ranging from supply chain disruption and conflicts in Europe to far reaching political uncertainty and high inflation,” explained Gareth Jones, managing director of In-Comm Training. “With all these pressures, we are pleasantly surprised that so many businesses have prioritised meeting their skills gaps over cutting budgets in the face of soaring prices. This shows an overwhelming desire by our sector to support the development of apprentices and to address the burning issue of skills, making sure that a lack of talent – both now and in the future – is not a barrier to UK manufacturing making the most out of its recent resurgence. “The stat around government support highlights a disparity with the local picture, which is a lot more optimistic and responsive to employer needs,” he added. “A prime example is a funding boost we received from the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to support the introduction of more modularised training, helping management teams overcome the issue of releasing staff from core operations. “Local Skills Improvement Plans, supposedly set-up to drive industryled investment on a national basis, have so far failed to support the direct funding of modular programmes. And this despite 83% of bosses saying they would take up the opportunity of modularised training if funding was in place. “Another area of concern is the vast amount of youth unemployment among NEETS (not in employment, education or training). Having access to funded training programmes, tailored to specific engineering needs, could really help get people into the hundreds of jobs available in industry.” To download the full report visit the In-Comm website. n In-Comm Training www.in-comm.co.uk Localised skills funding has made innovative employment training programmes with Collins Aerospace possible Skills and training still a priority for manufacturers
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjU1OTY1OA==