We were delighted to join Cardiff University, Renishaw and Industry Wales in a panel debate organised by Insider Wales on the future of manufacturing. It was refreshing to see that there was a positive feeling in the room about the opportunities available to manufacturers in Wales. The panel agreed that our strong heritage coupled with excellent links between business, academia and government gives us a solid foundation for future success
Whilst political opinions were varied we found much support around the room for our deep-seated belief that we – as business leaders – must shape our own opportunities. We cannot wait for others, to solve our problems for us.
On addressing the skills shortage in engineering we outlined the work we’ve been doing to inspire the engineers of the future, taking young people out of the classroom and onto the factory floor. Paul Davies from Industry Wales highlighted that there is still an image problem with engineering. Young people are not always encouraged to pursue careers in this area – there is a lack of understanding about employment opportunities in a modern manufacturing environment. “Manufacturing needs to be pushed as a viable option … a lot of schools don’t push it – this needs to be challenged.”
The skills shortage is just one challenge, we’re also facing massive technological change through AI and robotics, increased energy prices and a funding gap as we withdraw from the EU. But with every challenge comes opportunity, across Wales we have a lot of SMEs, who can be agile and should be able to adapt to new situations.
And as Professor Rossi Setchi from Cardiff University said: ”In difficult times we innovate more.”
The next issue of Insider Wales will contain full coverage of the event and topics discussed.
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