2020 was a disruptive year for every business, emphasising the fact that businesses have never had a greater need for investment in skills and training. SDE Technology’s Christopher Greenough, Chief Commercial Officer, strongly believes in supporting jobs and skills within the sector.
“There have been many schemes and incentives rolled out by the central and Local Government, aimed at getting youngsters into work environments. But many of these schemes are aimed only at new intakes or new employees.” Christopher explained.
In regards to schemes and incentives rolled out during the 2020 pandemic, Christopher believes that they should support apprentices who have been made redundant and who need to continue with their training.
He continued:
“The current apprenticeship funding does not allow this to happen, as all apprentices must have an employer, and so the paid training given to date for these youngsters are lost.”
“The second missing piece of Government support is for training providers, both public and private. There are training providers that have serious cash flow issues due to lower learner numbers since March 2020, and without support, these training providers will fail” says Christopher.
Due to disruptions caused by the pandemic, GB Training (UK) Ltd, an independent training provider in Birmingham ceased trading. This left 70 staff without jobs and young people who could not finish their training.
He concluded: “We must continue to invest in all areas of training provision, apprenticeships and vocational learning. Without a steady flow of well-trained staff, UK manufacturing cannot grow back to levels to support our economy. And let us be clear, it is only by becoming again the movers and makers rather than bankers and counters, that our economy will thrive.”
Made Futures was created to encourage people to get jobs in manufacturing, in support of those who have lost their jobs over the course of the 2020 pandemic. There's still time to sign up and be part of the exhibition by filling in the form here.