UK manufacturing gets public vote of confidence

23 June, 2020

Stephanie Baxter, education policy lead, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, comments: “Engineering often suffers from poor perception so this report shows that UK understanding of manufacturing is good and that will hopefully encourage more young people to go into engineering. Engineering is more than just a subject; it has the potential to change lives for the better. Of course, we can't ignore the recession we're facing, but there are areas of growth – for example, in energy moving towards newer and more sustainable technologies and actually I think what we really need is for young people to be able to think about problems and apply knowledge to practical solutions to things. That's the essence of engineering so I think that will hold people in good stead for whatever jobs they do.”

Paul O’Donnell, head of external affairs, the Manufacturing Technologies Association, says: “I don't think COVID-19 is going to prove to be a decisive fork in the road, but I think it is accelerating a lot of industrial change we were seeing already; whether that's new technologies, decarbonisation or whether in terms of some subsectors that were already facing challenges that are now facing multiplied challenges. I think that companies that are prepared to invest in human capital and technology are more likely to win through.

Vanda Jones, executive director, British Compressed Air society, reflects that, from an industry point of view, the pandemic and Brexit scenarios will result in more companies questioning their supply chains quite carefully. She makes the point that we are all used to goods being delivered from abroad as well as from home-based suppliers, but when the supply chain stops it naturally can have a considerable impact on industry. “So, companies questioning their supply chains and UK government investing in how we can make supply chain improvements is important,” she concludes.

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