Law firm FBC Manby Bowdler is supporting the Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology (MCMT) and giving young people practical manufacturing training. Sales director Neil Lloyd explains why.
If you spend as much time in the company of manufacturers as I do, it won’t be long before you hear about the so-called skills gap which is hitting the sector.
Quite simply, too few students are leaving schools and colleges with the sort of high-tech manufacturing skills which modern businesses need if they are to thrive and succeed.
We’re lucky enough to have a wide variety of manufacturers among our clients, and it’s a story we hear from them time and time again.
Forget the idea that youngsters today are somehow less able – or less willing – to forge a career in making things. They just don’t have the skills they need when they leave education.
That’s why we were so delighted to offer our support to the Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology (MCMT) at its two academies in Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury.
This is part of a series of articles about the skills crisis facing the UK manufacturing sector.
The series examines some of the serious problems affecting skills and training – and some of the positive initiatives aimed at producing a manufacturing workforce fit for the future.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE WHOLE SERIES
The MCMT – led by a consortium of Classic Motor Cars, Grainger & Worrall, Salop Design & Engineering, and training provider In-Comm – is pioneering an industry-led solution to this skills gap by providing a high-tech environment for individuals to learn from engineering experts on the latest technology.
Its dedicated centre in Bridgnorth offers apprenticeships and upskilling courses across a range of mechatronic, machining, tool making and technology support courses, as well as Business Administration apprenticeships in response to demand from engineering, manufacturing and professional services firms.
A second academy at Salop Design & Engineering in Shrewsbury trains apprentices in welding, general manufacturing and production, as well as offering extensive training in warehousing and logistics.
Furthermore, companies and apprentices can also tap into In-Comm’s Technical Academy in Aldridge, which also features a dedicated fluid-power cell and a new power press and tooling cell.
Several large companies have already signed up to take advantage of the fantastic facilities and expertise on offer at MCMT, including the likes of Caterpillar and Doncasters, and they’re already seeing the benefits.
Our support for MCMT takes the form of sponsorship, helping employers using the centre, including providing a full legal review, a legal help line and half-year seminars on issues affecting the sector including data protection, intellectual property and HR.
You only have to spend a few minutes at MCMT – and if you ever get the chance, I would urge you to do so – to see the passion the team bring to their work training our manufacturers of the future.
The desire to tap into the big technological changes sweeping industry is clear to see, as is the drive to meet the training needs of the sector in every way possible. It’s a passion we are delighted to share.
The Marches Centre of Manufacturing & Technology is an employer-led response to bridging the skills gap by creating industry-ready apprenticeships and delivering the best upskilling opportunities.
More than £5m has been invested in the two state-of-the-art centres in Bridgnorth and Shrewsbury, offering a vast area of dedicated learning space and access to the latest CNC, metrology, automation and robotic technology.
FBC Manby Bowdler LLP is a 30-partner regional law firm, and has a dedicated team supporting the manufacturing sector. To find out more contact Neil Lloyd at 01902 702018 or email [email protected]
