Semta agreement keeps UK flying high

The organisations have pledged to work together to promote engineering related aviation careers, apprenticeship frameworks and other opportunities to young people to increase the flow of British talent into the sector. Aviation and aerospace play a crucial part in UK advanced manufacturing generating revenues in excess of £48 billion, (£25.9bn for aerospace manufacture and £22.5bn for air transport). Ann Watson, chief operating officer of Semta, said: "The UK is renowned for its supreme quality of design and production, but is coming under increasing pressure from overseas markets due to a lack of specialist skills. We aim to reduce these pressures by maintaining a skills pipeline of talented young people that will ensure companies can continue to secure orders and deliver on deadlines." Simon Witts, chief executive of Aviation Skills Partnership, said: "I am delighted that we are able to reach these accords to work together and I look forward to jointly shaping our innovative industry-led programmes. There is a critical need for skilled aviation engineers and the UK has an enviable reputation for producing some of the best – we look forward to helping a new generation to gain the skills that they need to enter this exciting sector." Meanwhile, Deloitte has revealed that the European aerospace and defence (A&D) sector grew more than four times as quickly as the United States' A&D industry in the last financial year. European companies increased revenue by 5.4%, compared to 1.3% growth seen by their American counterparts. However, according to the Deloitte Global Manufacturing Industry group's 2014 Global aerospace and defence sector financial performance study, Europe continues to lag the US in profit margin performance due mainly to one-time charges and certain difficulties in rationalising assets and reducing labour costs.