Each day The Manufacturer compiles the top manufacturing news stories from around the web. To make your life a little easier, we trawl through all the major trade publications, broadsheets and business magazines to find you the most important manufacturing news each morning. Don't forget to bookmark this page and check back daily.
Engineering skills gap ‘not improving’ & apprentices call for greater awareness in schools
Four in 10 project managers who work in engineering think the skills gap in their sector is either getting worse or not improving, while over half believe apprenticeships are the best way to fix the problem, a new survey by the Association for Project Management (APM), the chartered membership organisation for the project profession, has found. More via The Manufacturer
Babcock supports people back into employment through a skills based work academy
Babcock and Supacat, in conjunction with the Department of Work and Pensions and Plymouth City Council, have developed a SWAP (skills-based work academy) programme to support people back into employment.
Babcock, alongside Supacat, are building 70 new Jackal vehicles for the British Army which is creating new jobs in the South West region with 90 new jobs at Babcock’s Devonport site and over 40 at Supacat’s design, engineering and manufacturing facilities at Dunkeswell in Devon. More via Babcock International
Nearly 500 jobs to be based at new Coventry business park following £24m WMCA investment
Work to transform part of the former Meggitt aerospace site in Coventry into a new business park featuring hundreds of jobs has been completed thanks to a multi-million-pound investment by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
Over the last two years the WMCA has put nearly £24m into the regeneration of the derelict Meggitt site off Holbrook Lane working with urban logistics property developer Chancerygate. More via WMCA
Coca-Cola strips labels from Sprite on-the-go bottles in trial of ‘label-less’ packaging
Coca-Cola will temporarily remove labels from Sprite and Sprite Zero on-the-go bottles this January in a limited trial of ‘label-less’ packaging.
The pilot will see labels temporarily removed from single 500ml Sprite and Sprite Zero bottles and replaced with an embossed logo on the front of the pack. Laser-engraved product and nutritional information will appear on the back of pack. More via The Manufacturer
GKN Aerospace collaborates with Northrop Grumman on smart demo rocket test motor
GKN Aerospace has been selected by Northrop Grumman to help develop components for a revolutionary solid rocket motor demonstrator. The first Solid Motor Annual Rocket Technology Demonstrator (SMART Demo) successfully tested a new motor that was developed in less than a year to showcase innovative technologies, including alternative manufacturing materials and processes. Underpinned by GKN Aerospace’s ground-breaking AM capability, the project demonstrated technologies that could reduce production lead times by up to 75 percent. More via GKN Aerospace
St Leonards: Factories tell of struggle to recruit young workers
Factory owners in East Sussex have spoken of the difficulties they are facing in recruiting workers.
The businesses, in St Leonards-on-Sea, said there was a lack of interest among the young in manufacturing as a career.
Operations director at cable factory Marshall-Tufflex, Jean Carlos Diaz, said young people “don’t know what manufacturing is”. More via BBC News
Tata Steel UK counters claims that losses of £1m-plus a day are overstated
Tata Steel UK has countered union claims that its losses are being deliberately inflated to justify its decision to end its blast furnace operation at Port Talbot.
Figures for Q2 of its current financial year show that Tata Steel UK, which as well as Port Talbot includes all its downstream operations such as Trostre and Shotton in Wales, posted earnings before tax interest, depreciation and amortisation (Ebitda) losses of of £134.6m, which equated to £1.46m per day. More via Business Live
Changi Airport Group collaborates with Aurrigo to trial new autonomous baggage vehicle
Changi Airport Group (CAG) and Aurrigo International plc are collaborating to test the latest version of its electric-powered autonomous vehicle, Auto-DollyTug®, at Changi Airport.
Auto-DollyTug®, which has new ground handling capabilities and is more maneuverable, will be put through different scenarios to assess its efficiency and speed when it comes to aircraft turnaround times. More via The Manufacturer
Aldi introduces ‘Best of British’ section on website to raise customer awareness of UK produce
Aldi, the UK’s fourth largest supermarket, has introduced a ‘Best of British’ section on its website to help customers gain awareness for British businesses and to show their support for UK farming. More via Pig World
Huge uncertainty facing hundreds of staff at Nexperia Newport
Hundreds of staff at a huge factory in Wales are facing a nervous wait amid delays in a proposed takeover. Nexperia Newport supplies semiconductors, or microchips, which are used in most modern technology including cars, smartphones and kitchen devices. More via Wales Online
