Conference engineers key industry solutions
THE challenges of recruiting and retaining key workers into the North East’s engineering and manufacturing sectors are to be tackled at an industry conference.
Engineers and Manufacturers Assemble – Recruitment and Retention - has been organised by membership organisation Engineering and Manufacturing Network (EMN) to focus on how companies can more effectively build a skilled workforce, while addressing the challenges of unfilled vacancies which can stunt business growth.
Developed from the strong engineering and manufacturing heritage of County Durham, EMN is now a cross-sector network dedicated to building and strengthening the whole of the North East’s engineering and manufacturing community, from SMEs to multinationals.
As well as Q&A sessions and networking, EMN has enlisted speakers to share their insights, with people confirmed including Liam Hunt, managing director of Ambic Manufacturing, Shirley Spoors, production manager at Akzo Nobel, and Phil Atkinson, managing director of BTS Facades and Fabrications.
The event will enable engineering and manufacturing personnel to explore recruitment and retention issues further, and will also include breakfast, lunch and networking.
Ailsa Anderson, director of development at EMN, said: “This is a real opportunity for engineers to talk to other engineers, and to hear first hand from their peers about what can be done to relieve the recruitment and retention challenges which the sector faces on a day to day basis. Recruiting people with the right skills, retaining experienced staff and ensuring businesses have the necessary expertise to function are all major talking points for many of our members, and these kinds of problems can limit productivity and growth.
“A significant proportion of the engineering and manufacturing workforce is reaching retirement age. Combine this with a lack of awareness among many young people about how exciting a 21st century engineering and manufacturing career can be, and it’s easy to see why businesses are experiencing challenges. And with increased investment in the renewables, automotive, EV, hydrogen and nuclear sectors in North East England, there is also a real concern within the engineering and manufacturing sector about the impact of skills displacement.
“It’s therefore vital that the engineering and manufacturing community can come together to discuss current and future challenges, and hare experiences of what can be achieved. With this conference at TDR Training’s headquarters, EMN is providing a platform for debate, discussion and learning.”
David Land, chairman of EMN, added: “Our team have secured an exceptionally strong line-up of speakers from the engineering and manufacturing sector, who will be sharing their own personal experiences, offering advice on best practice and sparking new conversations and ideas.”
The event will take place on April 26 at apprenticeships and training provider TDR Training’s headquarters at Quorum Business Park.