School-industry links – ‘must try harder’

Only they are capable of developing the wealth-creating 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. And the only way to develop and encourage high calibre young people is to catch them early, firing their imagination by visiting them at school. But too many companies treat the issue lightly, failing to push the benefits to youngsters of working in the manufacturing sector with the seriousness and commitment it deserve. When it comes to developing school-industry links, there is lots of individual effort, plenty of factory initiatives, and much corporate rhetoric, but precious little application of best business practice. It is as though manufacturing people are thinking: 'we are doing this for a good cause so we don't have to be rigourous in our thinking'. However, developing links with schools is not charity work. It offers solid business benefits, providing the seed corn that is destined to blossom into the industrial leaders of tomorrow. Of course, the task is long-term. You won't inspire every occupant of every classroom you enter with unbounded zeal for manufacturing. And, by definition, the apprentices and graduates 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 it is worth the effort. Properly thought-out and effectively implemented links with education have the power to correct the widely held, but damaging 'smokestacks and oily rags' perception of manufacturing among the young and, equally importantly, among their teachers. And, raising the status and image industry has a positive knock-on effect. By attracting the brightest and best manufacturing (rather than accountancy, medicine, law, or the City), manufacturing will gain better role models, which makes it that much easier to recruit the highest calibre people next time around. Forging strong school-industry links will create a virtuous circle that has the potential one day to make the UK the world-beating manufacturing nation it deserves to be.