Invest in excellence

I am often asked 'What if we train our staff and they leave?' For me, the simple response is 'What if you don't train them and they stay?'

Companies fear investing in employees in case they leave, and take the benefit of that investment with them. Surely a far larger threat comes from growing a manufacturing workforce which does not learn, develop or deliver the quality required to ensure the future prosperity of UK industry?

We are at a significant turning point for UK manufacturing. Rapidly growing economies around the world are generating considerably more qualified manufacturing specialists than this country. Where they previously traded only on low-cost labour, new economies will soon be able to fight the battle for the best skilled staff as well. We have an obligation to improve the training and education landscape for UK manufacturing and address the issue before it is too late.

To do this we must overcome three key challenges which the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing has been working on since its inception in January.