December 13, 2012 News Industry Forum has brought together some of the UK’s most specialised advanced manufacturing companies to showcase their products at an exhibition at the SMMT Westminster offices in central London between 10th December 2012 and 4th January 2013. These companies are operating at the forefront of advanced manufacturing in the UK offering innovative and highly engineered components and products. Exhibition Images [nggallery id=6] Advanced Manufacturing The company was established in 2010, with a modern, comprehensive manufacturing plant commissioned soon after. The high skill levels and creativity of its staff cater to both volume and niche orders of precision metal work. Investments over the last two years in robotic automation and substantial pressing facilities at this ISO 9001:2010 certified business have further broadened its capabilities in a variety of sectors. The products on show at SMMT demonstrate the bespoke, multi-metal solutions that it offers its clients, including door assemblies and exterior trim for both Aston Martin and Bentley. www.advmanufacturing.co.uk BAC-Mono BAC (Briggs Automotive Company) Ltd. is the British manufacturer of Mono, the world’s first single-seat production supercar. Brothers lan and Neill Briggs realised a long held ambition of designing and engineering their own car with the launch of Mono in March of 2011, and in turn set a new benchmark in the niche automotive sector. BAC are delighted to announce news of strong sales and developments that point towards a bright future in the automotive industry. Despite the tough economic climate, domestically and abroad, Mono has commanded enormous interest from all corners of the globe, with distributor agreements in the key markets of USA and China and export sales to many countries. Based in Cheshire, BAC source almost all the cars components from within the UK and are extremely proud to state that Mono is ‘Built in Britain’. www.bac-mono.com CTG CTG is a true British success story: a leader in the design, development and manufacture of advanced composite materials, products and systems. We have established an international reputation for our innovation, quality and successful development of composite solutions across a wide business spectrum. CTG is at the forefront of filament winding technology, specialising in precise fibre placement techniques and innovating new technology in joining metals to composites. CTG’s exhibit at SMMT includes a range of composite propshafts, along with pressure vessels, hydraulic accumulators and a composite flywheel. www.ctgltd.com Performance Springs Performance Springs Ltd is at the leading edge of spring technology and innovation. We design, develop and manufacture high quality, precision, compression springs particularly for engine valve, fuel injection, clutch, brake systems, steering and pressure regulation. Applications range across racecar, passenger and commercial vehicles, and also include heavy duty diesel engines. Spring optimisation and prototyping services plus advanced on-site testing and laboratory facilities are available. All components are manufactured to customer order and we currently work with many prestigious global OEM and aftermarket companies. Performance Springs is the best choice for high fatigue and safety critical applications. On display at SMMT is a variety of springs and valves, as well as a cutaway cylinder head that demonstrates the products in context. www.performancesprings.co.uk Polytec Car Styling The POLYTEC GROUP is a leading developer and manufacturer of high-quality plastic parts, with 21 sites and over 3500 employees worldwide. POLYTEC includes renowned international motor industry brands among its customers, but is also increasingly supplying markets outside of this sector. Its key criteria for success are the latest technologies, unimpeachable quality, absolute delivery reliability and competitive pricing. In both the automotive and non-automotive fields, POLYTEC offers supreme added value in every segment, ranging from product design and development through the manufacturing of tools and workpieces for fibre-reinforced materials, along with component simulation and testing, to practically all conceivable plastic processing technologies. Furthermore, POLYTEC offers excellent performance with regard to downstream processes such as painting or assembly, along with just-in-time or just-in-sequence delivery. Polytec’s products on show at SMMT include two examples of aerodynamic components manufactured for Ford and Jaguar at its Bromyard plant in the West Midlands. www.polytec-group.com
November 27, 2012 News Entrepreneur and educator Doug Richard has published his independent report on the future of apprenticeships. A successful entrepreneur with 20 year’s experience in the development and leadership of technology and software ventures, Doug was selected in June 2012 by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Department for Education to lead an independent review into the future of apprenticeships for the Government. His remit was to look at how to build upon the record success of recent years by: Ensuring that apprenticeships meet the needs of the changing economy Ensuring every apprenticeship delivers high quality training and the qualifications and skills that employers need Maximising the impact of Government investment In his report, Doug stresses that the different elements contained within his recommendations must be taken collectively saying “they are interlinked and the system will only make sense and be deliverable if all the elements are adopted as a whole.” Richard’s recommendations are: 1. Apprenticeships should be redefined. They should be clearly targeted at those who are new to a job or role that requires sustained and substantial training. Training and accreditation of existing workers that are already fully competent in their jobs should be delivered separately; as should provision aimed primarily at supporting entry into employment. The Government should introduce a new separate work-based programme to support entry into employment. This should replace some Level 2 apprenticeships. 2. The focus of apprenticeships should be on the outcome. There should be recognised industry standards at the heart of every apprenticeship. They should clearly set out what apprentices should know, and be able to do, at the end of their apprenticeship, at a high level which is meaningful and relevant for employers. These standards should form the basis of new apprenticeship qualifications, which replace apprenticeship frameworks, the current qualifications which comprise them and the current national occupational standards which underpin them. There should be just one apprenticeship qualification for each occupation associated with an apprenticeship. They should link to standards for professional registration in sectors where these exist and are well-recognised. 3. The Government should set up a contest for the best qualification. Individual employers, employer partnerships or other organisations with the relevant expertise should be invited to design and develop apprenticeship qualifications for their sectors. The selection of the ‘best’ qualification for an occupation should be based on Government-set criteria for identifying whatgood looks like. The criteria should ensure the qualification is ambitious and stretching, delivers transferrable skills and has significant buy-in amongst employers, including small ones. 4. The testing and validation process should be independent and genuinely respected by industry. The test should be holistic, at the end, and assess whether the individual is fully competent and employable, within their job and their sector. Employers should be directly involved in assessment. They must make sure that the assessment consistently tests apprentices to the standard specified in the qualification. Assessors should be entirely independent and have no incentive or disincentive related to the outcome of the assessment. The Government, a government body or regulator should approve and oversee the assessment process, or the organisations in charge of that process, in a light touch way. 5. All apprentices should have achieved Level 2 in English and maths before they can complete their apprenticeship. Maths and English taught within apprenticeships should be sufficiently functional in approach to be suitable for an apprenticeship context. 6. The Government should encourage diversity and innovation in delivering apprenticeships. There will be many paths and approaches that an apprentice can take to reach ‘the standard’ and we should strip out any unnecessary prescription and regulation of the process for getting there. 7. The Government has a role in promoting good quality delivery. To maximise value for learners and minimise risk of poor practice, Government should make some off-site learning and a minimum duration for apprenticeships mandatory. Government should ensure that an effective, light-touch approval process exists to confirm training organisations are providing good quality training, relevant for the sector. 8. Government funding must create the right incentives for apprenticeship training. The purchasing power for investing in apprenticeship training should lie with the employer. Government should contribute to the cost, but this should be routed via the employer, in order to ensure relevance and drive up quality. The price should be free to respond to and reflect employer demand. Government should only contribute to the cost of training that supports the apprentice in reaching the industry-agreed standard. The payment should be linked, in part, to the apprentice passing the test. A preferred approach would be to fund apprenticeships using the National Insurance or tax system – for example through a tax credit, similar to the R&D tax credit. The funding system should be kept simple and accessible, including for small firms. 9. Learners and employers need access to good quality information. Relevant government data should be made open and accessible in simple language and formats, so that companies can connect it together to generate products that present data in meaningful, innovative and accessible ways. The Government, through its own communication channels and careers advice services, should ensure that information about apprenticeships and their benefits is effectively and widely disseminated. 10. Government must actively boost awareness of the new apprenticeship model. Boosting learner and employer demand is an active responsibility of Government. Government should take an education based approach to this – enabling a wider range of employers to learn how to take on apprentices and why it’s worthwhile. New ways to bring employers and prospective learners together should be promoted, including through an ‘apprenticeship milk round’. More effort should be made to ensure that schools and teachers, parents and all those who inform and guide young people have a better understanding of what a high quality apprenticeship can offer. Download the full report summary here Industry Forum have been involved with SEMTA in the development of Apprenticeship frameworks to improve operational performance through operations and quality improvement. For more information please contact Ross McFarlane, Sector Manager – Learning & Development on 07977 577120.
November 23, 2012 News This article was originally published on the Birmingham Post website,23.11.12. Automotive supply chain firms have a “golden opportunity” – but they must work with manufacturers and financiers to address a lack of capacity, experts have warned. Those were some of the messages that emerged at a special event organised by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in Solihull where more than 125 UK-based suppliers were told car manufacturing in Britain was flourishing thanks to companies like Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, BMW, Toyota, Honda and General Motors. There is a chance for companies in the supply chain to cash in on the UK’s booming automotive industry but they need to be supported by lenders and investment in tooling is an issue that needs to be tackled. Around 25 lenders – including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, Royal Bank of Scotland and Santander – were also present at the SMMT’s Meet the Funder event which aimed to provide a form to discuss the financial needs of the UK’s £4.8 billion supply chain and improve dialogue. Mark Orton, a partner at KPMG’s Birmingham office, said UK component suppliers offered real advantages compared to both eurozone and Eastern European countries and highlighted major investment in UK manufacturing operations by Honda, BMW, Nissan, Toyota and General Motors. “This is fantastic investment that supports and bolsters the supply chain going forward,” he added. “Compared to the eurozone the UK is a very friendly and stable economy, with low tax rates and a government that is supportive of the UK manufacturing sector. “The weakness of sterling is also beneficial in terms of investment from the Far East. “All are good reasons for inward investment. There is also a favourable labour pool and one that is attractive to the automotive sector, real investment in the skills base and a reputation for innovation and research.” He said there was real expectation that over the next four to five years the UK automotive sector would grow by nine per cent per annum, peaking at 2.2 million units, but said there were real challenges in terms of coping with that growth, one of which was funding. Also highlighted was “the tooling debate” regarding the investment difficulties in developing new tooling lines though he added he believed this was now close to being solved. Simon Moger, head of government programmes at Jaguar Land Rover, echoed some of the issues over tooling with questions over who funds and takes risks over investment in it. “I can’t reiterate enough the great opportunities the UK has for growth at the moment,” he said. “If we are going to make these opportunities happen there is so much we need to do. Everyone wants this to be a success but we are not underestimating the challenge it is going to take to get there.” Mr Moger said although JLR would spend £5 billion on UK suppliers this year under capacity continued to be a problem. “Significant supply chain capacity has been removed to Europe since the last recession and the growth of JLR and Nissan has filled remaining UK capacity,” he added. “There needs to be significant extra capacity put into the UK and we need to work with banks, government and local partners to maximise opportunity.” Irene Graham, managing director for business finance and strategy for the British Bankers’ Association, said: “The banks are open for business and want to work in partnership with the automotive industry. How we work together will drive forward how we are fit for purpose to meet the challenge for the automotive sector in this country.”
November 22, 2012 News The award process is now open until the end of January 2013 for the 2013 awards. To apply for an award download the 2013 Application Outline and Application Form. Complete the application form and return it to TPM Assessment at [email protected] If you have any questions on the completion of the form please contact the TPM Assessment office +44 (0)121 717 6619. Once we received the application, we will acknowledge receipt and pass to JIPM for processing.
November 20, 2012 News Businesses across the country can now bid for a share of a £150 million pot to create the training schemes they need to grow their companies, Skills Minister Matthew Hancock announced today. The fund is the second round of the Employer Ownership Pilot (EOP) which is already giving nearly £70 million to companies including Nissan, Whitbread and GE Aviation, with projects ranging from extending skills training to local suppliers, to doubling the number of female apprentices. Government investment in EOP for rounds one and two now totals £250 million. Matthew Hancock said: “For Britain to compete we need as a nation to deliver the skills employers need. This is a unique opportunity for companies across all industries to secure their futures by addressing their skills needs now. “I would encourage businesses – large and small – to be ambitious and innovative in their vision for how the fund can help them grow, from creating new apprenticeship programmes to setting up specialist training academies. “I am also delighted to announce today that Channel 4 and the BBC have been successful in their joint round one bid with Creative Skillset to attract a more diverse range of young people into production and creative technology. “The Employer Ownership Pilot is not only strengthening individual businesses. It is showing us new ways to make sure the whole of the UK economy has the skills it needs to compete in the global race.” The collaboration between Channel 4, BBC and Creative Skillset will create training, work placements, internships and apprenticeships in production and technology. These will also be extended to businesses in their supply chain, such as independent production companies. The other 34 successful round one projects were announced in September. These included Nissan’s programme to bridge the skills gap for more than 3,600 technical staff, new recruits and supply chain workers involved in producing new models and working with evolving technologies. This will be a crucial contribution to the company’s launch of four new models in the next two years and to the expansion of the North East’s automotive industry. Charlie Mayfield, Chairman of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES), which championed the vision for employer ownership, said: “Business leaders must think strategically about their personnel – equipping workforces with the skills they know are missing, or developing those areas which have the potential to support organisational growth. If UK industries are to thrive it is essential that a labour market exists which is fit for purpose now and in the future, with talented staff amongst the best in the world. “We know that there aren’t any quick solutions to creating a highly skilled workforce, but projects such as the Employer Ownership pilot offer a unique opportunity for businesses to collaborate and create ambitious bids which can begin to address skills issues at a sector or geographic level. I would urge every business to consider how their involvement in the pilot might support them to improve the skills of our people to benefit our businesses, our economy and our society.” David Way, Chief Executive of the National Apprenticeship Service said: “While I am delighted to see many more employers offering apprenticeships every week, we welcome this important employer-led approach. This will help to achieve our ambition to see accelerated growth and higher quality standards for apprenticeships. “The Employer Ownership Pilot will encourage a fresh and creative approach to stimulating employers to offer more opportunities to young people. This initiative will enable even more employers to collaborate and lead to the further expansion of apprenticeships. This is vital for ensuring employers of all sizes and in vital growth sectors invest in and benefit from apprenticeships. “We look forward to working closely with UKCES, BIS and all of our employers in developing and delivering high quality apprenticeships.” The round two prospectus is now available online at www.ukces.org/employerownership and the deadline for bids is 28 February 2013. To see how Industry Forum can help you access the available funding please contact Ross McFarlane on 0121 717 6600 or email [email protected] (Taken from the BIS website, 20th November 2012. To read the full article please go to http://news.bis.gov.uk/Press-Releases/-150-million-for-businesses-to-build-skilled-workforce-68396.aspx)
November 19, 2012 News Paul Hardiman, Global Best Practice and Assessment Services Principal, SMMT Industry Forum, has been invited as the guest of honour at a TPM Excellence conference in Krakow, Poland on the 21st-22nd March 2013. The conference is focused on sharing TPM best practices and will include case studies and workshops. Paul, the first non-Japanese JIPM TPM assessor, will present on experiences in undertaking JIPM TPM assessments. More details of the conference can be found at http://konferencjatpm.pl/ Industry Forum offers a full range of services to help companies successfully implement TPM and achieve JIPM TPM status.
August 14, 2012 News SMMT have been appointed by VDA QMC in Germany to deliver approved VDA 6.3 Process Audit training and qualification modules. Developed by the German Automotive industry, VDA 6.3 defines a process based audit standard for evaluating and improving controls in a manufacturing organisation’s new product introduction and manufacturing processes. Revised in 2010, the standard was comprehensively restructured to reflect the changes to ISO9001 and customer specific requirements in the automotive industry. The standard can be used by any organisation, either for internal process audits, or for evaluating potential or existing suppliers. Compliance to VDA 6.3 is mandated by some vehicle makers and encouraged by others, in particular the German automotive industry. Overview This awareness seminar will provide an overview of the structure, content and scoring evaluation systems of VDA 6.3 together with an overview of customer specific requirements in terms of VDA 6.3. The seminar will be delivered by one of SMMT’s approved VDA trainers. There will be plenty of opportunities for questions and answers throughout the session. Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided. Date: 14th November 2012 Time: 10:00am – 1:30pm Venue: Partnership For Learning, South Road, Halewood, L24 9PZ Cost: Free To book a place, please contact Zoe Desoer at the Northwest Automotive Alliance by email: [email protected] Download VDA 6.3 Seminar flyer
April 18, 2012 News Created by the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance (JIPM), Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a structured approach to deploy a comprehensive set of tools and techniques in order to eliminate losses across a whole organisation. TPM involves the capabilities of the whole workforce to ensure effective and sustainable improvements are implemented. Industry Forum will be hosting a TPM Workshop on 19th July 2012 at the Industry Forum Learning Centre, Birminghan, UK. The workshop will give an overview on the structure of the TPM model, compare TPM to Lean Manufacturing, and include case studies from companies who have implemented TPM. There are a limited number of places are available at £75 + VAT per delegate inclusive of refreshments and lunch. Workshop Agenda Why TPM? TPM Vs Lean TPM Excellence Awards TPM Deployment Approach Case Studies Q&As If you would like more information please e-mail [email protected] or call the TPM Office +44 (0) 121 717 6619. Alternatively, you can book a place to the workshop online. Download the July 2012 TPM Workshop flyer (pdf)
March 22, 2012 News Earlier this year, government made available details of the £125m supply chain fund aimed at improving the size, quality and global competitiveness of the UK’s advanced manufacturing supply chain sector. The fund is aimed at supply chain companies operating in England and can be used for capital expenditure, skills and training and R&D projects. Due to the minimum project threshold value of £2m, it is envisaged that many bids will need to be from several companies clustering together to form one bid. SMMT Industry Forum has developed an approach to support the clustering of potential bids and are working closely with supply chain companies to develop their bids. Competition for the funding is expected to open shortly and SMMT will host a webinar on Wednesday 4 April at 10:30 with Geoff Dale, Director of Industry Forum. Geoff will discuss how SMMT Industry Forum is working with supply chain companies to cluster and submit viable bids. The webinar will cover: Details of the dedicated fund areas (R&D, capital expenditure and skills and development). Details on funding eligibility, how to apply for funding, including application deadlines. Details on how SMMT IF can support supply chain companies submit a clustered application for funding. To register for this free webinar, click here.
March 1, 2012 News Original article posted on www.smmt.co.uk on Wednesday 29 February 2012 Jaguar Land Rover is today celebrating the one millionth Land Rover Discovery manufactured at its Solihull plant in the West Midlands. The company is marking the milestone by setting off on an expedition from the model’s birthplace in Birmingham to Beijing in China, one of its fastest-growing markets – arriving on 23 April at the start of the city’s motor show. The announcement marks a significant achievement for the UK automotive industry, with the Discovery’s global sales up by 16% year on year to a record 45,000 units in 2011, and 83% of the model’s production being exported to 170 different markets around the world. The Solihull plant workforce alone has increased by 20% in the last six months, rising to 6,000 to meet growing international demand for Land Rover products. Alan Volkaerts, Operations Director at JLR’s Solihull plant, said, “Many people are involved in the production of the Discovery, and many have been here for the whole journey, from car number one to car number one million. I’d like to take this opportunity to thank every one of them. They have done a brilliant job, and have displayed great dedication and service. These are the men and women who have made the Discovery the success story it is today.” The Discovery’s expedition route will cover some 8,000 miles across 13 countries in 50 days. A team of four Land Rover Experience experts will tackle both extreme terrain and adverse weather conditions in the one millionth Discovery to roll off the line at Solihull. The journey launches a fundraising project that aims to raise £1 million for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). Last year saw a number of high-profile investment announcements from UK automotive companies, including Jaguar Land Rover. Major UK automotive sector announcements in 2011 amounted to the creation of around 9,900 new jobs, the safeguarding of over 12,000 jobs, investments worth over £4 billion either directly in UK automotive or in automotive supply chain activities, nine new vehicle models and long-term announcements to manufacture four next generation vehicle models in the UK.
