National Manufacturing Day is a chance for UK manufacturers show their local community, schools and colleges behind the scenes access to a sector of global importance that plays a pivotal role in the economic life of local communities across the UK. The day itself will be a national celebration of UK manufacturing and a chance to raise the profile of the sector.
Manufacturing accounts for £183bn of outputs, 64% of UK R&D and over half of the UK’s total exported goods. In local economies, we create business hubs as well as training and employing local people. What’s more, these are excellent jobs with average salaries some 12% higher than the wider economy.
Many manufacturers are telling us that they are facing a labour shortage and lack of skills needed to grow their business. We still have a problem with the general population’s perception of manufacturing that we need to update. National Manufacturing Day presents a real opportunity for businesses to work with schools, colleges, Jobcentres and local residents to inspire and recruit local talent and showcase modern manufacturing to dispel the myths.
National Manufacturing Day will demonstrate the value of jobs and in particular apprenticeships in our sector so the next generation see manufacturing as a future career. But we are not limited to the next generation (school leavers and graduates), but to those looking to reskill and move into a new sector or industry.
Make UK is working with government departments and various stakeholders to promote the day.
We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) who will:
- Communicate National Manufacturing Day (NMD) to all of DWP frontline Jobcentre operations
- Encourage manufacturer employer contacts to sign up for National Manufacturing Day
- Invite all Employer Leads at each Jobcentre to visit a local manufacturer in the run up to the day to communicate the opportunities to job seekers
- Promote National Manufacturing Day to job seekers
- Will share content on their own social media channels
Make UK is working with the Department of Education (DfE) who will:
- Share details with Apprenticeship in Manufacturing and other influential groups to get them
to sign up to NMD - Share details with schools and parents to increase profile to those stakeholder we aim to target
- Provide materials setting out the educational route to manufacturing for school leavers
- Offer social media support, sharing of campaigns and aligning messaging
- Working with Amazing Apprentices to get out to parents to talk about the opportunities
associated with a manufacturing apprenticeship
Make UK is working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
(BEIS) who will:
- Share details with manufacturing business contacts to get them signed up
- Arrange comms support for the initiative and shared on their social media accounts
- Help arrange visits in the run up to NMD to build the profile of the day
- Provide Ministerial support in promoting to MPs and other stakeholders
- Add this new initiative into the Government’s overall Comms Grid
To get involved click here.
