KEEP UP TO DATE
Why not encourage the manufacturers of tomorrow?
Despite what you may read or hear elsewhere, manufacturing is alive and well, and living in the UK! ...
Manufacturing has, in the past, been perceived as dull, repetitive, poorly paid and so on. However, nothing could really be further from the truth, more so with some of the incredibly superb businesses and advanced manufacturing operations in the North West.
If you have an operation you are proud of - and you don't have to be someone who exports for all you are worth - why not perhaps organise an open day and invite your local school in for a few hours?
Perhaps you could even throw down the gauntlet and challenge them to suggest a new product you could make (obviously a food manufacturer is not going to be interested in making an MP3 player holder!).
Aside form the local public relations and the opportunity of "selling" manufacturing as a career to young teenagers, inviting your local journalist along could give an all-important boost to your company morale. There's nothing better than a groups of excited children crowding around a fancy piece of machinery with a smiling production manager in the background!
Failing that, take a photograph yourself, jot down a few words and submit a summary of the event to your local paper.
That we need to encourage youngsters into manufacturing, there can be no doubt. However, there has to be an element of pro-activity on the part of the existing manufacturing sector to help the cause.
Manufacturing is still the future of the UK economy, and we must all play our part to ensure the "Great" remains firmly in Great British manufacturing.
Knowsley Authors
Lesley Martin-Wright
Chief Executive, Knowsley Chamber of Commerce.
Lesley Martin-Wright is the newly-appointed chief executive of Knowsley Chamber of Commerce.
Gaynor McGrail
Director at Knowley payroll services firm i_Paye.
Gaynor McGrail is co-founder of i-Paye, which offers payroll and financial services help for contractors, freelancers and self-employed professionals. She founded the company in 2005 with her husband Shaun and last year it topped the LDP Business Hot 100 list of the region's fastest-growing businesses.
Manufacturing Authors
Tony Caldeira
Managing Director, Caldeira Cushions.
Tony Caldeira is managing director of Caldeira Cushions. The company operates manufacturing sites both in Merseyside and in China.
Edward Moss
Public Relations and Communications, Manufacturing Advisory Service.
Edward Moss, Public Relations and Communications, Manufacturing Advisory Service.
The Manufacturing Advisory Service (www.mas-nw.co.uk)offers manufacturing companies practical, hands-on support in all aspects of manufacturing to help achieve improvements in productivity and competitiveness. Since 2002, MAS North West, which is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and delivered in the region by The Manufacturing Institute, has helped manufacturers to generate financial returns totalling ã739 million and to safeguard 8790 jobs. The Manufacturing Institute (www.manufacturinginstitute.co.uk) is an independent charity - driven by manufacturers for manufacturers. For 15 years, The Manufacturing Institute has helped transform manufacturing performance, working with over 4000 companies to gain competitive advantage from high impact skills building and productivity improvement programmes.
David Ost
North West regional director for EEF
David Ost, North West regional director for EEF.
David Ost is the North West regional director for EEF, the organisation for manufacturing, engineering and technology-based businesses, which operates a regional office in Warrington.
Property Authors
Chris Johnson
Managing Partner, Smith & Sons in Birkenhead
Chris Johnson is managing partner of Smith & Sons in Birkenhead. The firm is one of Merseyside's most prominent commercial property agencies and property auctioneers.
Andrew Owen
Head of business space, Mason Owen
Andrew Owen is head of business space at Liverpool commercial property agency, Mason Owen. The firm operates across the UK with a number of high profile clients.
Maritime Authors
Stuart Wood
Former Liverpool senior pilot interested in the maritime world
Stuart Wood, former Liverpool senior pilot, retired last June after 41 years holding his pilotâÂÂs licence. He interested in all aspects of the maritime world, principal of which is his perpetual love affair with the River Mersey.
Jim Teasdale
Chief Executive of Mersey Maritime
Jim Teasdale is chief executive of Mersey Maritime, overseeing all activities including marketing, lobbying, business development, and training and education. He was formerly chief executive of Birkenhead-based Laird Foundation, a centre of Vocational Excellence in Marine Engineering, and also represented Sea Vision UK in the North West region. Mersey Maritime lobbies for the Merseyside's maritime cluster.