Havant in Hampshire is the best place in England to work in the manufacturing industry, according to new research compiled by distributed manufacturing company, Isembard.
Isembard’s English Engines of Growth Index ranks areas using ONS data on density of manufacturing businesses, growth in those businesses over five years, apprenticeships completed in related fields, manufacturing wages and availability of related jobs. The analysis reveals Havant, Redditch and Kirklees as the top three areas to consider living in if you want to work in manufacturing.
According to Isembard’s research, Havant claims top spot with a 7% increase in the number of manufacturing businesses in the area — one of the highest proportions in all of England, and today, the area sees 22 manufacturing firms for every 10,000 residents. Recent manufacturing growth in Havant is likely driven by a focus on high-tech facilities, developing talent, and regulations that allow major expansions at key business hubs like Dunsbury Park and Langstone Park, driven by Solent Freeport tax incentives and local council initiatives.
Redditch secures second place on the list, thanks to one of the highest concentrations of manufacturing businesses in the country at 34 for every 10,000 residents. This is matched by a strong supply of skills, as the area boasts 4.6 apprenticeships completed in manufacturing technologies. Kirklees places third in the list tallying 31 manufacturing companies registered for every 10,000 residents, while the number of businesses in the sector climbed by 3.7% in the last five years.
The South East places three authorities in the top ten of the index — Havant at first, Test Valley at ninth and New Forest at tenth — making it the strongest performing region in the upper reaches of the rankings. Despite manufacturing accounting for a smaller share of employment in the South East than in England’s traditional industrial heartlands, the region’s manufacturers command a significant earnings premium. Manufacturing wages in the South East run at 110.4% of average earnings, the second highest of any English region.
At the other end of the scale among local authorities, the London Borough of Harrow comes bottom of the rankings of 296 authorities with just 10 manufacturing businesses for each 10,000 residents, and the number of firms shrinking by over 15.1% in the last five years,
The research on where best to work in manufacturing comes as the new Burnham Government sets high ambitions to reindustrialise Britain, with skills and technical training at the heart of its industrial agenda. Isembard’s index is the first to identify where manufacturing is thriving, to ensure investment reaches the areas best placed to deliver on the Government’s ambitions.
Alexander Fitzgerald, CEO and Founder of Isembard, said: Britain has spent two decades losing industrial capacity, but this research shows that decline is neither uniform nor inevitable. In Havant, Redditch and Kirklees, our capacity for manufacturing is growing. The skills, entrepreneurs, and ambition exists, showing that reindustrialisation — rightly identified as a priority for Prime Minister Burnham — is possible. As a country we must make more of what we need, and take lessons from the towns and cities excelling at it.
Alan Mak, the MP for Havant, said: “I’m delighted Havant has been named the best place in England to work in manufacturing in Isembard’s analysis. This is a testament to the skill and dedication of our local workforce, and to the businesses at Dunsbury Park, Langstone Park and the wider Havant Constituency who continue to invest and grow here. I’ll keep championing the manufacturing, marine and defence sectors that are at the heart of our local economy.”
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