This week, West Yorkshire Manufacturing Services' CEO Mark Lewis was featured in the Yorkshire Post, discussing the skills gap, here's what he had to say...
It’s time to face the truth about the future of manufacturing
Worth £7.7 billion to the regional economy West Yorkshire is home to the largest manufacturing workforce in the North with 110,000 people across 5,500 manufacturers 90+% of whom are small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). With the government claiming a focus on driving economic growth, it’s time that the voice of our region’s SMEs was heard.
Let’s face it, without the manufacturing and engineering sector, regional and international supply chains would grind to a halt. It’s no secret however that the industry is facing significant challenges, driven largely by a skills shortage. With the average skilled worker now aged 53, the next decade will bring a pressing question: who will step in when they retire?
Our education system appears broken, intent on funnelling young people through GCSEs, A levels and university degrees, many are encouraged to pursue an academic route, therefore Manufacturing and Engineering career paths are not even on their radar.
With increasingly few practical skills being delivered within our mainstream education system and a national press rhetoric of industry closures; it is no wonder that we are struggling to attract young people to the sector.
And yet the reality is very different, our region has a thriving engineering and manufacturing sector, it is one of the most dynamic, innovative and creative sectors showcasing modern technologies, feeding supply chains throughout the world; and due to the agility of the 90+% SMEs operating in this space, able to quickly adapt and change to new opportunities. Securing the future of the industry starts with challenging negative perceptions, so why are we not more effectively championing these successes?
The skills that have enabled the sector to thrive; adaptability, critical thinking, problem solving, self-management, learning to learn, creativity, communication and resilience, seem all but gone from our education system. Without these skills, our ability to design, engineer and manufacture, will similarly diminish.
As a charity dedicated to supporting growth in manufacturing and engineering, we at West Yorkshire Manufacturing Services are not afraid to face that hard truth, that work needs to be done now in order to safeguard the region’s industry. Initiatives such as our annual National Manufacturing Day events help to showcase opportunities by bringing together schools, pupils and employers, but are just the tip of the iceberg.
Many of the organisations with whom we work are world-leading, though often not the household brand names offer amazing employment and career opportunities, with the opportunity to develop skills that will serve for life.
The skills gap is becoming increasingly desperate and raises a number of distinct challenges, we therefore need to;
- Reintroduce opportunities for practical learning within our education system.
- Provide platforms for our region’s businesses, to shout about and share their successes, and the opportunities that exist.
- Ensure that young people (along with parents, teachers and careers advisors) understand the opportunities and benefits of working within the sector.
- Reduce the disproportionate impact of governmental policies on SMEs
Without a concerted effort on all fronts, we cannot be surprised if the shortfall of young people entering the sector continues.
It’s time we got serious about the work that needs to be done. The time is now to introduce young people to manufacturing and what it really means for our regional and national economy.
As SMEs, we must not be afraid to think big, shout about our successes, and create more opportunities young people to engage with the sector; facilitate more practical and hands on training, after school activities, pre-apprenticeship programmes, and courses. All of which can be supported with structured workplace experiences and mentoring.