Cross-sector industrial partnerships gather pace
1 min read
Plane maker Airbus and automotive giant Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) are among those spearheading an industrial partnership scheme to bring together employers of all sizes to discuss how they can help tackle common issues as well as those specific to their sectors to create jobs, raise skills and drive economic growth in response to the government's industrial strategy.
They are seeking to accelerate the implementation of best practice, the development and use of new technology and to ensure the skills required among the workforce are more readily attainable.
The Industrial Partnerships are supported by employer-led co-funded participation bids for traineeships, apprenticeships, graduate development and re-skilling the existing workforce. The participation bids are led by Nissan and Siemens, working with companies such as Tata, Johnson Controls, BMW and a wide range of supply chain companies and SMEs.
Mark Stewart general manager and human resources director at Airbus in the UK, chairs the aerospace and defence group and says employers taking ownership of skills is the best way to keep the talent pipeline flowing and enable the sector to grow.
"Some 115,000 jobs will be secured by the funding, over a seven-year period. It is vital that we invest in the right people and skills to exploit and further develop the advanced and competitive technologies which are a strength of UK aerospace," he said.
Jo Lopes, Head of Technical Excellence at JLR, said the creation of the Advanced Skills Accreditation Scheme in partnership with Semta, building on his company's own successful training programme, was evidence of how working closer together was vital for the future of automotive.
The Industrial Partnerships are supported by leading companies such as Rolls Royce, Automated Technology Group, GKN Aerospace, BAE Systems, Ford of Britain, JJ Churchill, Bentley, General Motors, Thales and AgustaWestland.
