Coventry-based Manufacturing Technology Centre continues to become one of the city’s booming businesses after seeing its workforce grow by more than 20% in the past year.
And it is predicting further growth in 2018, including an increase in the number of apprentices, which currently stands at 147.
Having started 2017 with 502 employees it closed with 629, which is the third successive year the MTC has expanded its workforce by more than 100 employees and it is expecting similar numbers this year.
Chief executive Clive Hickman said: “Every year we have shown huge growth as we look to keep pace and support the UK manufacturing industry as well as play a vital role in developing the engineers of the future via our apprenticeship programme.
“We expect to see our employee and apprentice numbers increase again this year, adding to our world class engineers and those at the start of their careers.
“The MTC has been an exciting and rewarding place to work and positions itself as one the city’s foremost employers, offering a rich diversity of roles in a flourishing and dynamic industry.”
The MTC, which boasts an impressive campus at Ansty Park, is a leading independent research and technology organisation and developing cutting edge technologies in a range of fields including digital manufacturing, additive manufacturing (3D printing), robotics and electronics.
It is currently expanding its existing facilities with a dedicated new base for its Business Launch Centre, which will allow it to strengthen its support for manufacturing SMEs and start-ups.
In addition, it is enhancing the National Additive Manufacturing Centre, which is overseeing a £14m government-backed project to increase the use of additive manufacturing in the aerospace industry supply chain.
This has increased the need to bring in engineers to deliver the vast range of projects to develop and deliver technology for leading names such as Rolls Royce, Panasonic and Amey as well as SMEs – the lifeblood of the British manufacturing industry.