Organisations chosen to develop skills for innovation in manufacturing

Projects chosen as part of the UK Futures Programme.

Five organisations have today been chosen by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) to test different ways that skills for innovation and manufacturing can be developed.

Benefiting from co-investment from UKCES of up to £150,000, each organisation will test skills development as part of the UK Futures Programme, which comprises of learning programmes that will address skills needs in various workplaces.

The UK Futures Programme has invited proposals for co-funding from employers in the manufacturing sector to design or pilot new ways of boosting the skills and business practices needed to maximise the value of UK innovation.

Targeting specific emerging or persistent workforce development problems, this round invited employer-led proposals from businesses in the manufacturing sector to run initiatives that last until next summer.

These will focus on skills that manage the innovation process while exploiting innovative products and services for commercial value.

The projects are in Lancaster, Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow and Swansea, encompassing universities, an employer representative body and significant UK manufacturer.

One of the projects is BAE Systems Maritime Naval Ships, which is piloting a way of incentivising innovation and enhancing discretionary effort through the introduction of schedule-based working into a complex manufacturing facility in Glasgow.

Work at Swansea University will build on a successful leadership programme for SMEs to develop a programme that increases the innovation management skills and knowledge of leaders and senior managers to help develop the innovation culture of their organisations.

There is a project for BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd, the Northern Ireland Polymers Association (NIPA) and Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Paul McKelvie OBE is the UKCES Commissioner and leader of the competition, and he spoke of his excitement about these five projects.

He said: “I’m delighted to announce the successful applicants of our Skills for Innovation in Manufacturing competition.

“My team and I were impressed with the fresh thinking on display in these five projects, and we are excited to see what we can learn from their achievements.

“Innovation is vital for our national prosperity. It has a critical role in productivity and job creation, and nowhere is this true more than the manufacturing sector.

“It’s vital that we learn how manufacturing firms can optimize their workplaces and processes to take best advantage of their highly skilled, highly productive workers.”

Being given the chance to test new ways to develop skills for innovation in manufacturing is significant because manufacturing is seen as key in terms of exports and the hope is that this competition will find new ways of developing skills and practices needed to maximise the value of innovation.

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