Manufacturing industry faces such ferocious competition that only the brightest and best people have the skills the sector needs to survive. Only they are capable of developing the products it needs to sell, of seeing and nurturing the high value services those products can support, and of managing the enterprises that successfully deliver those products and services.
Of course, you won't inspire every occupant of every classroom you enter with unbounded zeal for manufacturing. And, by definition, the raw recruits you attract are those in whom you plant the seed of enthusiasm five or more years before they sit down beaming expectantly on day one of your induction course.
But developing links with schools is not charity work; it offers real business benefits. The reason many companies don't see those benefits is that they fail to tackle the issue as they would any other part of the business plan. When it comes to developing school industry links, there is often plenty of individual effort, lots of factory initiatives, and much corporate rhetoric, but precious little application of best business practice. It's as though they are thinking: 'we are doing this for a good cause so we don't have to be rigorous in our thinking'.
However, it pays to be rigorous. Properly implemented links with education correct the widely held, but damaging 'smokestacks and oily rags' perception of manufacturing among the young. As one respondent to our survey said: "A recent work experience student stated that he was 'very pleasantly surprised by what options were available within my business' as he had perceived manufacturing to be dark and dirty with limited options available."
And, raising the status and image of industry has a positive knockon effect – by attracting the brightest and best to manufacturing (rather than accountancy, medicine, law, or the City), industry gains better role models, which makes it that much easier to recruit the highest calibre people next time around. More reasons to take the issue seriously are outlined in the box on page 21.
By auditing your current links with education, you may be pleasantly surprised at how much your employees already do, whether as school governors or members of their local Parent Teacher Association. Next, ask a series of questions to determine what your company's policy will be: What outcomes to expect to achieve in future? What will be the plan to achieve them? What actions must you take? Who will be responsible for those actions and who will review them? How will you know whether you have achieved your objectives?
Don't try to do too much
Decide upon specific activities and build in performance indicators – say enquiries for apprenticeship places or work experience – to measure their success. But don't try to do too much. Many managers don't realise how huge and complex the education market is. They think of it as a school down the road containing a few students. That's dangerous because it leads to lots of ad hoc initiatives that add up to very little after a couple of years. So, select your delivery mechanisms. For example:
- Teacher placements: teachers passionately believe in doing the best for their pupils. However, they have demonstrably turned their backs on the materialistic, commercial, money-making/selling world. That will influence the way they talk to their pupils. So, for example, is there a danger that they might create a liberal, anti-business culture in the classroom without meaning to? There is also a bigger obstacle to overcome – ignorance. Teachers can go to school from five to 65 without ever having experienced industry. And, if they've never been in business, they are unlikely to talk about it. Placements can increase teachers' awareness and understanding of manufacturing.
- Work experience: This is useful to give pupils an insight into the world of work. The other side of the coin is employees making presentations at a local school. Both youngsters and company employees can benefit a lot from work experience. The companies that come into the school to make presentations also gain by seeing how much things have changed. They can observe how metalworking, for example, has been replaced by technology classes that embrace home economics, design, IT and business studies.
STEMNET chief executive Kirsten Bodley says: "Work experience is enormously valuable because it gives young people a real insight into what people actually do at work. That isn't just about what they are doing, but it about being there on time, how you relate to your colleagues, how you present yourself, how you communicate – a whole range of life skills. I hear a lot about lack of employability skills of young people, but a lot of that is because they haven't had the opportunity to experience what it is like to be in the workplace."
- Factory visits: these take time to organise, and can be disruptive and expensive. There are also safety issues to consider. However, they can raise the profile and boost the reputation of businesses. Fujifilm, based in Broadstairs, Kent, has conducted a number of factory visits over the years. They are, says CI manager Gary Burgess, a great opportunity to work on a project with the local community: "The first question we always ask is: 'have any of you considered a job in manufacturing?' The response is always a sea of blank faces and no arms in the air. However, we repeat the question at the end and normally get over 50% showing an interest in manufacturing."
And, says Catrina Webb, training co-ordinator at Eggborough-based Saint-Gobain, a factory visit can really help children develop: "We did a school tour for Year 10 pupils and I subsequently got an email from the teacher saying one of the kids, who was usually quite disruptive and not very hardworking, had really enjoyed the visit and asked 'what do I have to do to work for that kind of company?' She told him and, apparently, his grades have since picked up and he's worked harder. It's helped him buckle down knowing he needs certain grades to go forwards. It felt really good to know that we were making a positive difference."
- Curriculum-related projects: these can help students to gain an understanding of industry. STEMNET creates opportunities to inspire young people in science, technology, engineering and maths, primarily through its STEM Ambassadors' programme and STEM clubs. STEM Ambassadors might take part in a careers options evening or careers networking events, or run workshops and challenges, for example.
Julian Bond, R&D engineering manager at Lancing-based Parafix, became a STEM Ambassador after asking teacher friends how they saw his job: "The responses were, quite frankly, shocking – I got things like 'poorly paid', 'dirty', 'unglamorous', all of this kind of stuff. And I thought 'wait a minute, I have a good job, I am significantly less stressed than all of you, I travel the world with my job'. And yet none of my teacher friends thought it was a very positive career. I wanted to change that perception."
The process of becoming a STEM Ambassador is simple, explains Bodley: "First, register on the STEMNET website. Depending on where you register, your local contract holder (www.stemnet.org.uk/regions/) will contact you with a link to complete a DBS (formerly a Criminal Records Bureau check) and an invitation to an induction training session. At this, ID documents for the DBS are checked. "When they have completed the training and the DBS check has come back approved, they are free to go into schools as a STEM Ambassador," says Bodley.
- School governorships: Employers can't complain at the output of schools if they do not offer their employees the opportunity to be governors by giving them paid time off to perform governors' duties, and to influence the way in which schools work.
- Work shadowing: a pupil or teacher follows an employee for about a week to observe what they do.
- Donations and sponsorship: for example, you could give schools spare equipment, or sponsor, say, science book prizes.
Building links with your local schools doesn't have to be expensive. And you don't have to take on a lot. The question really isn't: can you afford to invest in school industry links? Rather, with relentless competition and a growing skills gap, it is: can you afford not to?
Useful connections
Centre for Industry Education Collaboration:
Education and Employers Taskforce:
Engineering Development Trust: www.etrust.org.uk
Industrial Cadets: www.industrialcadets.org.uk
Institution of Primary Engineers: http://iprimeng.com
Make-It: http://bit.ly/1OkdwFT
Nuffield Foundation: http://bit.ly/1iUl9Y6
Teacher Industrial Partners: http://bit.ly/1sqadAv
See Inside Manufacturing: http://bit.ly/1SzInzp
Smallpeice Trust: www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk
STEMExchange: www.stemexchange.co.uk
STEMTech: www.stemtechconference.com
STEMNET: www.stemnet.org.uk
Teentech: www.teentech.com
Young Engineers: www.youngeng.org
Work experience guide: http://bit.ly/1HwHQvf
First steps in engineering
Primary Engineer (www.primaryengineer.com) was established 10 years ago to encourage young people to consider careers in STEM-related professions. The scheme's founder, Susan Scurlock, says: "All great engineers started off in primary school. If you don't start talking to the primary school about engineering forget it because you'll always be on the back foot later on." The Leaders' Award, one of Primary Engineer's programmes designed to bring engineering into schools, asks pupils aged five to 19: 'What would you do if you could be an engineer?'
To complete the award, students must submit a letter of application, engage with STE M activities and complete an interview with a STEM professional.
Children interview engineers about what it is to be an engineer, identify a problem and create a solution to it.
Examples of the kids' inventions include a car that can't be driven if it senses alcohol on the driver's breath; a car with prisms in the headlights to detect black ice; an Alzheimer's hat designed by a girl who wanted constantly to remind her granddad what to do, and a Calpol lolly.
Views from the shopfloor
"Spoke to a local high school to forge links for work placements. School came down to inspect premises and discuss opportunities. Sent in insurance paperwork etc, all OK to go. Got interest from other local manufacturers in the same field to come on board. Never heard another word from the school."
"It always amazes me how poor the initial knowledge of engineering is among pupils when we start the activities, but most get involved and enthused within a few hours. What can also be disappointing is how little teaching staff know about engineering."
"We have had visits from local schools and some of the children's ideas have been used in our development because they see the problems very differently to how we see them."
"When I approached a local secondary school a few years ago offering work placements, support to student projects, sponsorship of annual prizes for achievement and effort in STEM, the headmaster thought I must be a conman."
"In 2014 we invited 43 head teachers to an event to help heads understand the benefit of apprenticeships. Only nine people attended, none were heads."
"When I was an apprentice engineer I remember a group of children and their teacher being shown around the aerospace factory I was working in. A number of us overheard the teacher say 'If you don't pass your exams this is the sort of place you will end up working in'."
"A couple of years ago, students used our foyer, stairs and front of building for a modelling assignment. Productivity fell dramatically for a couple of hours as the young machine operators were spending a lot of time watching the models."
"Following all of our school visits we ask the question 'who wants a job in electronics manufacturing?' The answer is a resounding 'yes', and that includes the teachers."
"We have completed interviews for apprenticeships at 16 years old and every candidate has been amazed by the scale and complexity of an injection moulding plant because they have no experience."
"Our profession is not promoted in the right manner. Kids don't want to be engineers. With no offence to the service industry, as long as an engineer is perceived as the man who fixes the washing machine, it will never be sexy enough to attract the floating voter."
"Having had 12 school children visit, I asked how many wished to work within our industry; no one wanted to. Following a factory tour, I asked the same question and I had 100% wishing to join."
Why link with schools?
"Schools are the pipeline for engineers and manufacturing links drive them to choose subjects that enable them to complete engineering degrees."
Chris Moore, project manager, Seagate Technology
"Somebody has to get them to change their attitude from 'If you don't work hard at school you will end up working in a factory'."
Nick Bion, MD, Robert Bion & Co
"The younger the child is exposed to positive industry role models, the more likely they are to see the value in a career. It also keeps the education professional up to date with the real requirements in industry and it removes a barrier through dialogue and engagement, which will help both parties see opportunities to collaborate."
Brian Lawson, head of engineering services, CTO Mirfield
"When you analyse your workforce, 60% are often from local areas. Potentially, these pupils could be your staff of the future."
Brian Cook, operations manager, Hotchkiss Air Supply
"Young people need a real view of engineering so they are more able to make balanced and realistic career choices."
Peter Benet, MD, Groveley Precision Engineering
"Schoolchildren don't know what industry is like and many assume it is dirty and boring. If they are engaged when they are young, they often find out it is interesting in lots of ways. It helps to take away misconceptions and mystery. We need good young people in technical careers supporting industry and we have to get their interest early in life."
Ged O'Shea, site manager, Dr Reddys
"In my experience, pupils often have no real comprehension of what their role would entail within an organisation, or more importantly the route to how they secure their desired job."
Mark White, operations manager, CB Kaymich & Co
"Too much of manufacturing in the media is still portrayed as either mechanics fixing thing s with oily rags, dull drones working on noisy production floors (with a token robot making s parks for effect in the background), or lab-coated geeks with safety specs. The reality is far from both... If the students of today are to be encouraged into the manufacturing sector, it's all about explaining how a product gets created, costed, designed, manufactured, packaged, delivered and marketed."
Paul Sacker, MD Crimson Industrial Vision
"Local school children come in and that gives us a free review of our processes because there is no finer person in the world than a child to ask 'why?' The kids have no preconceptions and that enables them to challenge your thinking and processes."
Julian Bond, R&D engineering manager, Parafix
