Carol Burke believes businesses need to step forward to bridge the skills gap and she is urging companies in the sector to come up with innovative new ways such as getting more graduate engineers through the ranks and looking at apprenticeship degrees.
The firm, which employs 800 people across three sites in the Midlands, has already benefitted from a more proactive approach and was recently awarded the Education Partnership title for the West Midlands by the EEF Future Manufacturing Awards.
“The more people we can get interested in manufacturing is crucial, not just for Unipart but UK industry in general,” Burke said.
“We were really pleased to secure the EEF Award as it reinforces the time, effort and money we have spent in AME and our other activities.
“The focus now is on securing the national prize and ensuring we continue to push the message that industry has to step forward to bridge the skills gap.”
