UK government invests £30 million into manufacturing skills

In a bid to inspire the next generation of engineers and manufacturers in the UK, the government has teamed up with leading automotive manufacturers across the country to boost skills in the sector.

The project, developed through the Automotive Council’s Business Environment and Skills Group, has been kick-started from a £30 million investment funded by the government and industry representatives.

Its aim is to make sure the skills required by UK vehicle manufacturers and supply chain companies are met, in order to give businesses the confidence they need to invest in and create highly skilled jobs.

Business secretary Vince Cable said: “This investment puts our automotive sector in the driving seat to design the skills our manufacturing companies need. There is a risk that without adequate investment in skills, the industry will run into serious skills bottlenecks.

"Employment in the automotive industry is set to grow in the coming years, with multi-billion pound investments taking hold and production volumes on course for record levels.

"With developments such as connectivity and advanced manufacturing taking the sector into exciting new territory, recruitment is a major challenge facing the industry."

Through working collaboratively, manufacturers will be able to identify the key skills shortage areas and strive towards addressing these in current and future workforces.  

Leading automotive employers in the UK, such as Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW and Ford are backing the initiative and have plans to roll out a "jobs framework" and employment "hot spots" to help steer young people down an automotive career path.

Existing employees from businesses participating in the scheme will also benefit by receiving support to help strengthen their management and leadership skills. Similarly, qualified engineers from other organisations like the Armed Forces will be trained to apply their skills to the automotive industry.

Virtual College work with a number of businesses, including manufacturers, to help them develop bespoke training for their workforce. For more information, please visit: http://vceducation.co.uk