Lancashire Labour Market Focus –Advanced Manufacturing
Introduction:
Advanced Manufacturing matters as the Sector makes a significant contribution to exports; undertakes a high level of research and development; and is a key driver of technological change. It helps to create employment in other sectors and supports local supply chains throughout Lancashire and beyond.
There are some key sub sections to Advanced Manufacturing e.g. Aerospace, Automotive, Food and Drink, Textiles and Chemicals
Typical Jobs:
Brewery Worker, Food Processing Worker, Sewing Machinist, Design Engineer, Aerospace Engineering Technician, Textile Dyeing Technician
People working in Lancashire:
• Aerospace = 12,900 in employment (18% of employment in the Advanced Manufacturing sector).
• Automotive =4,100 in employment (6% of employment in Advanced Manufacturing sector). A key driver for the industry is the development of low emission vehicles, and exports to emerging markets such as India are a focus for the industry.
• Food and Drink = 13,500 in employment (18% of employment in Advanced Manufacturing sector). In the UK as a whole the food and drink industry is the largest manufacturing sector.
• Textiles = 3,700 in employment (5% of employment in Advanced Manufacturing sector). The increase in online retailing has helped reinvigorate the UK textile industry as the need to respond quickly with shorter runs and lead times has made ‘local’ supply more attractive. Customer preference is also playing a role , and textiles is additionally an important element in the supply chain for other sectors of manufacturing e.g. medical textiles, automotive and aerospace components .
• Chemicals = 4,300 in employment (6% of employment in Advanced Manufacturing sector). Biotechnology is increasingly important ,as is the sustainable production of fuel and chemicals.
Predicted future demand:
Replacement demand of 21, 800 workers up to 2022 and 6,000 highly skilled jobs created directly at Warton and Salmesbury , and another 5000 in the supply chain.
Skills gaps:
Skills gaps and shortages are a worry across all sub sectors. The automotive sector, for example, identified an insufficient number of electrical engineering graduates as an issue. Training provision was a concern in several sectors – whether there were too many providers offering a confusing array of options (aerospace) or not enough local provision existing in textiles.
For Aerospace, long term skills demands include management skills, professional skills, technical skills, CNC Machining, design and process engineers/technicians to respond to technological change e.g. CAD technology
Qualifications and Training:
• Nine of the 10 FE Colleges in Lancashire have an engineering offer
• Training 2000 is the largest provider of engineering apprenticeships in Lancashire
• 25, 230 learner starts in STEM subjects in 2013/14
• 2,090 apprenticeship starts in 2013/4
Pay and Conditions:
On average, the sector pays higher wages than in the service sector. For example , Design engineers can have a starting salary of between £20,000 and £27,000 a year; a Senior Tool Maker might earn between £25,000 and £30,000 a year and a Textile Dyeing Technician might expect to achieve a starting salary of between £17,000 and £22,000. A Textile Production Manager can earn well over £30,000 a year with experience.
All salary figures are from the National Careers Service website and are for guidance only.
Local companies:
Key local companies include:
In Aerospace: BAE Systems, Rolls Royce (Pendle) , Aircelle Ltd (Burnley)
In Automotive: Leyland Trucks, Lunar Caravans Ltd (Preston) , Solomon Commercials (Rossendale), TRW Automotive, Futaba Teneco, BCW (all Burnley).
In Food manufacturing: Burton’s Foods (Blackpool), Fox’s Biscuits (Fylde), W Holland & Sons (Baxenden), Pepsi (West Lancashire), Warburton’s (Burnley).
In Textiles: Andrew Industries (Hyndburn), James Dewhurst Ltd (Hyndburn), Pin Croft Dyeing and Printing (Blackburn), R Soper Ltd (West Lancashire), Furlong Flooring (Pendle), Panaz (Burnley), Hotter Shoes (West Lancashire).
In Chemicals: Victrex (Wyre), AGC Chemical (Wyre), Evans Vanodine International (Preston), Baxenden Chemicals (Hyndburn), Royal Sanders (Preston), Sika (Preston).
More information
Sector Skills Council: www.semta.org.uk
Apprenticeships: www.gov.uk/topic/further-education-skills/apprenticeships
Higher Education: www.ucas.com
Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership: www.lancashirelep.co.uk
National Careers Service: https://nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk
Training Providers: www.lancsforum.co.uk
Lancashire Colleges:
Accrington and Rossendale: www.accross.ac.uk
Blackburn: www.blackburn.ac.uk
Blackpool and the Fylde: www.blackpool.ac.uk
Blackpool Sixth Form: www.blackpoolsixth.ac.uk
Burnley: www.burnley.ac.uk
Cardinal Newman: www.cardinalnewman.ac.uk
Lancaster and Morecambe: www.lmc.ac.uk
Myerscough: www.myerscough.ac.uk
Nelson and Colne: www.nelson.ac.uk
Preston: www.preston.ac.uk
Runshaw: www.runshaw.ac.uk
St Mary’s Blackburn: www.stmarysblackburn.ac.uk