Leeds Manufacturing Blog » Work Wise http://www.leedsmanufacturing.co.uk/blog Making it in Leeds Fri, 16 Dec 2011 10:46:12 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Carbon and People Key to Future of Manufacturing http://www.leedsmanufacturing.co.uk/blog/manufacturing/carbon-and-people-key-to-future-of-manufacturing/ http://www.leedsmanufacturing.co.uk/blog/manufacturing/carbon-and-people-key-to-future-of-manufacturing/#comments Thu, 20 May 2010 13:02:18 +0000 Guest Blogger http://www.leedsmanufacturing.co.uk/blog/?p=193 Two words – ‘carbon’ and ‘people’ sum up the biggest challenges facing manufacturing, according to CEO and chaiman of GSM Group Barry Dodd. Speaking this week at a manufacturing lunch organised by Leeds Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by law firm Irwin Mitchell, he argued that rising fuel costs in energy and logistics combined with new ‘carbon taxes’ will make it critical for business,…

]]> Two words – ‘carbon’ and ‘people’ sum up the biggest challenges facing manufacturing, according to CEO and chaiman of GSM Group Barry Dodd. Speaking this week at a manufacturing lunch organised by Leeds Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by law firm Irwin Mitchell, he argued that rising fuel costs in energy and logistics combined with new ‘carbon taxes’ will make it critical for business, and manufacturers in particular, to respond to the environmental agenda.

Finding the right people will also be crucial to long term sustainability of manufacturing. This was reflected in discussion round our table, with many manufacturers now ‘importing’ skills form other parts of the UK but recognising that, ultimately, the ageing workforce profile of the sector makes it essential to open up manufacturing to a new generation.

It’s a problem across the sector as shown by the launch today of the ‘Work Wise’ initiative, which aims to encourage and support young people to take up careers in manufacturing and engineering. The initiative has been backed by 50 South Yorkshire employers who are accutely aware of the need to renew the skills base within industry instead of companies feeding off one another’s skills base.

Given that there nearly twice as many people employed in manufacturing in West Yorkshire than there are in South Yorkshire, the need for an initiative in this kind is even more pressing. Something for the Leeds city region Employment & Skills Board and organisations like the EEF to consider?

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