Technology adoption by manufacturers driving demand for digital skills

26 January, 2021

Beverston Engineering, a Knowsley-based manufacturer of components for safety critical industries such as aerospace, is implementing an ambitious digital strategy with the support of Made Smarter.

Rod Wah, managing director, said: “Data and systems integration sits at the core of our innovation strategy and the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies offers us a major opportunity to continue growing both our global reputation and our revenue. However, the digital skills we needed to take that first major step to realise our vision of a smart factory did not exist in our business, and bridging that skills gap is a major challenge.

“My experience is that it seems like traditional apprenticeships are still teaching the same thing that I did in the 1970s - rather than including the digital skills required by industry. Unless industry and education work together the skills gap is going to increase and hold back many businesses from taking advantage of the opportunities Industry 4.0 offers.”

Beverston has managed to partially plug that skills gap through Made Smarter’s digital technology internships using Oliver Miller, a Master’s student in Aerospace Engineering at Liverpool University, who is developing a new quality management system.

“The opportunities Industry 4.0 brings are really exciting, and I am keen to share that enthusiasm with colleagues at Beverston and upskill them as to the benefits of new technologies,” Oliver said. “As an SME, the native digital skills aren't there, so it has been a great opportunity to share my experience of software, programming languages and other data skills, and what I have learnt during my studies.”

Playdale Playgrounds, based in Cumbria, has ambitions to become a fully digital factory, integrating the design and manufacturing processes, and using IIoT sensors to capture real-time performance and predictive maintenance data.

Recognising the potential skills gap, Playdale recruited Greg Saul, a graduate Product Design and Technology from Loughborough University, through Made Smarter’s digital internship programme.

He has been working on a data and systems project which has reduced design time by 20% and improved the quality of presentation for customers.

Greg, 23, from Lancaster, said: “I supported Playdale by proposing new software and streamlining the design process to improve workflow from planning to presentation. The results have been fantastic.

“It has been a rewarding experience to be able to bring in my skillset to the business and support their vision for the future.”

Paul Mallinson, Technical and Operations Director, said: “The crux of the challenge is that while we have a crystal-clear awareness of what we need to do, we struggle with the resource and skills to drive it forward.

“We are fortunate to have Greg on board, bringing his ability and focus on technology projects, and we are looking to upskill our younger, more digitally capable workforce, but the lack of available skills is slowing down our progress.