Tell us about your factory's star performers and help Works Management show the new government that Britain's got the manufacturing talent to take on the world.
Works Management's Manufacturing Champions Awards are back and once again looking to shine a light on the all-important people who power UK manufacturing success.
There's never been a more important time, with the all-new Conservative administration, to bring tales of British manufacturing triumph to the national conscience.
The government stands at a critical stage on developing Industrial Strategy and its stated intention to rebalance UK plc back towards manufacturing.
We want to hear about your top performers so we can showcase the innovation, teamwork and insatiable appetite for adding value that is abundant across British sites.
The winners of our debut Manufacturing Champions Awards in 2014 brought a wealth of inspiring stories to scupper the myth of manufacturing as a career backwater. From the production worker who saved millions on fighter jet assembly to the female graduate who led a traditional leather tannery through tumultuous change.
The awards are back and looking out for manufacturing's class of 2015 with nine [confirm] categories prizes up for grabs including the Manufacturing Team Award, Community Champion and Unsung Hero Award. All categories will ask you to demonstrate how you or your team have delivered outstanding performance, teamwork/leadership, innovation and added value for customers.
Entry is simple and convenient. Decide which categories you want to enter and you will be sent a save as you go online questionnaire (go to www.manufacturing-champions.co.uk/categories and tick those categories you want to enter). You have until 23 September to submit your entry.
The Manufacturing Champions Awards finalists will be announced in late October and invited to attend a glittering awards ceremony at the Midland Hotel, Manchester on 3 December.
As well as finding out the winners, the event will include TED-style motivational talks on becoming a better manager and motivating a factory team.
Taking part in the Manufacturing Champions awards offers multiple business enhancing benefits for your factory. Nominating employees for an award is a great form of reward and recognition for their hard work. Last year's winners reported a huge buzz from being acclaimed by industry peers and a determination to raise their standards even higher.
This morale boost is something business psychologist Frederick Herzberg termed a higher motivator: recognition acts as a turbocharger on employee morale and leads to tangible improvements in performance.
Giving your high-achievers a public pat on the back also promotes your business as the home of world-class talent and brings PR opportunities in Works Management magazine, plus the local and national media.
This year's Manufacturing Champions Awards features two brand new categories [check]: the Supply Chain Champion and Energy Champion. These categories have been added to reflect the crucial importance of collaboration within UK supply chains and boosting energy efficiency in the face of spiralling input prices.
Both categories will celebrate the individuals and teams whose talent and tenacity has given their factory a key advantageCalling all SMEs
A hallmark of last year's Champions Awards was the dominance of employees from OEM operators in the finals.
Please note: the Manufacturing Champion Awards are open for employees at factories large and small. We would actively encourage more entries from SME-based employees this year.
The judging panel assess on an entrant's ability to add value, invention and passion for the job independently of company colours. In short, size is no barrier to becoming a Manufacturing Champion.
Submitted entries will go through a two stage assessment process. The first involves analysis by Works Management's expert editorial team. Qualifying entries will then be marked by a panel of judges comprising leading manufacturing lights and industry experts. The judging panel will meet up in October to debate who has made the shortlist as well as the overall winners.
So if you are sick of cliched oily rags and chimney stacks impressions of manufacturing. If you are proud of your people and your profession: enter the Manufacturing Champions Awards 2015 and help us shine a light on the supremely talented people whose talent and tenacity helps British factories become world beaters.
