We very much welcome your news, views and ideas.

Please email Judith Cowan if you would like to contribute to the next issue.

With a career in industry starting in 1982 as a graduate engineer with BP and  most recently as Operations Director for  Albion Inorganic Chemicals, Joanna Woolf brings business management and hands-on industrial expertise to  Cogent at a critical time for the Skills for Business Network.

“I have worked in the challenging and exciting environment of performance-driven organisations, where understanding what makes the difference to your performance is key. My  experience  has  proved that having people with the right skills is fundamental to business success.

I am, however, acutely aware of the difficulty of motivating businesses, and individuals,  to invest time and resources into developing skills.”

“The challenge for Sector Skills Councils like Cogent is to show that we can make a difference for employers if they engage with us now and act collectively for the long term health of their businesses and the UK.”

“It will be no surprise, therefore, that I believe Cogent must practise what we preach so that we are valued by the industries we represent.

“I will be steering Cogent to be more  industry-focused, more results-orientated, more  intelligent and leaner and more  business-like in our operations.

“Our Sector Skills Agreement process is designed to reveal for our sector the strengths and weaknesses in skills and skills provision, so that we can inform and advise employers about their necessary interventions and investments.

“For our advice to be accepted and acted upon by businesses we need to shape a dedicated and focused team with the credibility that comes from understanding and experience of employers’ individual and collective needs.”

John will lead Cogent’s Employer Engagement Team.  Joanna Woolf Cogent’s Chief Executive said: “John will be responsible for the development of our employer engagement strategy to enable us to fulfil our objective of improving business performance through skills. This will involve ensuring that the right relationships and networks are in place to facilitate strategic engagement and that appropriate commercial arrangements exist with industry to allow the provision of the necessary skills.”

Commenting on his appointment, John said, “From firsthand experience of manufacturing in the US, Europe and Asia, I am convinced that British industry can compete successfully in the modern global economy. However, there is no room for complacency, a skilled work force is essential to improve productivity and quality and to drive technology development and innovation to ensure that UK manufacturing remains fully competitive.”

John has an impressive record in management and leadership in the chemicals industry, having worked at a senior strategic level with ICI and EVC. More recently, John led the launch of Inovyl, a new business venture involved in technology licensing, speciality chemicals and environmental services before moving to 3VSIGMA, a speciality chemicals company as Business Development Consultant.

Joanna added: “John’s leadership and the skills and knowledge within the EET will support our immediate challenge of the engagement of employers in the Sector Skills Agreement, as well as our longer term aim of securing the skills needed by industry to that it can remain competitive and sustainable in an aggressive global marketplace.”

“We also need to look forward and recognise the challenges ahead and agree our priorities in tackling them.”

The skills prospectus invites employers to work through colleges, universities and other training providers to set up more skills academies, such the fashion/retail academy set up by Arcadia Group.

Cogent is working with employers for a Nuclear National Skills Academy. Cogent Nuclear Skills Adviser, John Haddon has sent a proposal to three nuclear employers as part of the preliminary stage in preparing the 'Expression of Interest' on their behalf.

While the industry does not face a skills crisis at the moment, employers are agreed that skills development is needed now in order to meet the challenges which will be presented in three to five years' time.

Liz Rooney, Cogent Head of Research and Policy said: “This is an exciting development and we are working closely with nuclear employers to draw up plans for an Academy which will meet their particular needs.

"The government has made it clear that there is no single blueprint for what academies should look like - but they must be demand-led and our challenge is to ensure that employers get up-to-date, high-quality skills solutions that meet needs both now, and critically for the nuclear industry, in the future.”

www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/nsaprospectus/

Mr. Michael Jack (Fylde) (Con): The Secretary of State may be aware that the majority of Britain's nuclear fuel is manufactured at present at British Nuclear Fuels' Springfield plant in my constituency. Does he agree that it is important to recognise the need to keep together the fuel manufacturing expertise that we have in the United Kingdom? I welcome his commitment to a measured further review, but may I press him to be more specific on the likely timetable of the Government's consideration of the matter if vital investment and personnel decisions by BNFL are to be made to maintain our ability to make nuclear fuel in the United Kingdom?

Alan Johnson: I accept the first point. We need to take a strategic view of the nuclear sector, not least to retain the skills that we have there, which is why Cogent, the sector skills organisation for nuclear, is examining those strategic points. On the timescale, the Right Hon. gentleman may press me, but I will say nothing beyond what the Prime Minister said in the first week after the general election - that we must make the decision in this Parliament. As to exactly when that will be during this Parliament, we need to ensure that we consider all the issues raised by Right Hon. and Hon. Members. We need to make the decision within this Parliament - not within six weeks of the general election.

David Wright, local MP, said: “Telford is well placed at the forefront of this important industry.  I hope I have shown my backing and commitment to the polymer industry in Telford and I support wholeheartedly events such as this, giving students a chance to see for themselves a Telford-based industry, in the vanguard of technological advances, offering real career opportunities for Telford’s young people”.

Event sponsors Shropshire Education Business Partnership and Aim Higher, supported by the Telford-based Polymer Cluster Centre, Cogent and PTL, staged the event for Year 9 students to promote skilled and professional careers in the polymer industry.

Introducing the event, Cogent Regional Team Leader Bill Erskine outlined the routes of both work-based and vocational learning for people in the polymer industry and illustrated the further and higher education opportunities available locally.

The day’s programme of activities included a tour of PTL’s renowned Technical Centre facilities and an introduction to computer-aided design by Shirli Bailes.  Paul Hackney, Polymer Cluster Champion, facilitated a workshop and Nigel Moore from Shropshire Setpoint presented a communication and design activity.

Luke Davis, science teacher at Abraham Darby School in Telford, found the day very informative and thought it provided “an excellent introduction to the sector for careers' awareness with good overviews of ‘real’ science used in industry”.

“We wanted young people to learn about the polymer industry and career options available”, said Adrian Richards, Vocational Co-ordinator at Shropshire Education Business Partnership.  “The event also touched on many aspects of the curriculum and enhanced thinking, communication and problem-solving skills.”

The Polymer Cluster is a Wolverhampton Telford Technology Corridor project, funded by Advantage West Midlands and the European Regional Development Fund.

Picture Caption:

Adrian Richards, vocational co-ordinator at Shropshire Education Business Partnership, (left) and Paul Hackney, polymer cluster champion, welcomed Shropshire schoolchildren to Polymer Training Ltd’s Technical Centre on behalf of Aim Higher.

The event, which took place at the University of Wales, Newport covered a range of subjects from new nuclear build to nuclear-armed submarine maintenance and skills shortages.

This year, Fuel For Thought had a particular emphasis on:

• the Young Generation in the industry
• the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority
• the future of the industry
• the workforce.

Over 200 attendees packed the lecture theatre to hear the opening speakers including Malcolm Wicks MP the UK’s new Minister of State for Energy, who presented the Government perspective. Cogent Head of External Affairs, Mervin Dadd spoke about the nuclear industry skills environment and the work of Cogent.

Cogent also exhibited and sponsored an informal reception before the conference dinner. Cogent Nuclear Adviser, John Haddon was in attendance to promote and discuss skills issues with the employers at the event.

Malcolm Wicks said that new build is not an immediate policy issue and that debate about nuclear would come later as part of a wide-ranging energy policy discussion aimed at finding ways for the government to meets its climate change goals as set out in the White Paper of 2002.  

The minister also talked about security of supply, gas imports and carbon abatement strategy as being important factors. He said that there would be policy before the end of this Parliament on nuclear, the Government is Keeping the Nuclear Option open (KNOO) and has signed the international accord on Generation 4 development.

Ian Hudson, the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) Technical and Skills Development Manager said that there was not a major skills issue at the moment - but that there would be in three to five years’ time.

John Haddon added: “Cogent is working with employers and other stakeholders in government and education to take steps to build the infrastructure we need for a sustainable industry.”

photo:l-r Malcolm Wicks, Mervin Dadd and John Haddon at the Cogent stand

Manufacturing in the Midlands
At the end of June The Grantham College CoVE ESS in partnership with The Engineering Forum, Lincoln College, Boston College, SEMTA and Aim Higher organised an Exhibition of Manufacturing and Further Education Providers in the Midlands.

Cogent exhibited to an audience of directors, engineers, HR personnel and purchasers from across the Midlands at the Lincolnshire exhibition, alongside local manufacturers, Midlands FE providers - including all of the CoVEs related to engineering - equipment suppliers, buyers and recruitment companies.

World Forum for Chemical Engineering
From 10th to 14th June, Cogent exhibited at the 7th World Congress of Chemical Engineering. Commenting on the importance of the exhibition, Professor David Bogle said that chemical engineering remains a key driver to social, environmental and economic progress. 

The event reflected the way in which chemical engineers strive to advance understanding and translate science into practical engineering applications.

Cogent representatives promoted the Sector Skills Agreement Process, and conversed with employers about the importance of industry input into ensuring the most effective long-term solution to meeting skills' needs right across the chemicals sector.

East of England Energy Group Summer Conference
Cogent and Energy and Utility Skills hosted neighbouring stands at the EEEGR summer Conference, distributing literature about their respective industries as well as the Skills for Energy Project led by the four Sector Skills Councils supporting the Energy Sector (Cogent, EU Skills, ECITB, and SEMTA).

There was a steady stream of visitors to the stand including employers and other stakeholders, enabling Cogent's Liz Johnson and Peter Gent to showcase its work and the progress made by the Sector Skills Councils in addressing skills issues in the East of England.

It was an excellent opportunity for networking, with around 150 delegates attending of whom about half were employers in the Energy Sector.  The scene was set by John Westwood of Douglas Westwood who emphasised the importance of oil and gas being the number one priority for the UK and East of England, the significance of developing renewables and the potential rebirth of nuclear.  In summary, he painted an optimistic future for the Energy Sector in the East of England provided the global skills shortage on the horizon is addressed

There were a series of scenario planning debates and seminars including a Seminar on Skills for Energy given by one of the Skills for Energy Employer Champions, Megan Arnold from SLP. 

These are among the possibilities raised by Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks as the Department of Trade and Industry asks for views on the development of "micro-generation" of low-carbon energy by homes, businesses and public buildings.

Launching the consultation in a speech to the Renewable Power Association's annual conference in London in July, Mr Wicks said that: "Power generation has traditionally been about giant stations supplying whole cities, but the future may show that small is big. Some generation will move closer to home - giving individuals and small communities the chance to contribute directly to the UK's long-term environmental and energy goals. There could also come a day when many people will receive a cheque alongside their energy bill."

The DTI is developing a cross-Government strategy for the development of micro-generation, including micro-hydro, micro-wind, solar power, fuel cells, micro-combined heat and power, and ground and air source heat pumps. Just how much can be done will depend on the costs and how they compare with other technologies.

Proposals are also outlined today for a grant scheme that could see a series of flagship low-carbon buildings over the next six years. Malcolm Wicks told the RPA conference:

"Many people are keen to do their bit to help cut climate-changing emissions. They have the potential to make a big difference - nearly half of all UK carbon dioxide emissions come from buildings.

"This consultation will give people the chance to share their views on how we can best promote the development and uptake of micro-generation, and make it easier for people to adopt these technologies in their own neighbourhood. It's all about looking to the future but acting now."

DTI Congratulated

Renewable Power Association Chief Executive, Philip Wolfe said: "At a time when some may be tempted to focus on 'big solutions to big problems', the DTI is to be congratulated for drawing attention to the significant contribution that micro-renewables can make to delivering the Government's overall energy efficiency and renewable energy targets.

"RPA member companies are at the forefront of the rapidly growing UK market for technologies that can literally put a power station on your own roof or in your own building. We are looking forward to working with DTI and other Departments to help deliver a successful long-term micro-generation strategy with all the environmental, investment, innovation, export and job creation benefits that this will bring to the UK."

The launch of this consultation, together with last week's launch of the Carbon Abatement Technologies Strategy and the Hydrogen Strategy, is just part of the ongoing programme of work to implement the Energy White Paper and achieve the Government's goal of reliable, sustainable energy for all, delivered through competitive markets.

The DTI is seeking views on a range of issues, including how to support product development and deployment; how to improve communications; what the most appropriate economic incentives might be; the issues around building regulations and planning policy; technical matters relating to connection to the distribution network and metering; and the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

The DTI is working on a cross-government micro-generation strategy as part of the work of the Sustainable Energy Policy Network (SEPN), a network of government departments, Devolved Administrations, regulators and other organisations that are jointly responsible for delivering the Energy White Paper's commitments.

http://www.dti.gov.uk

Careers Northwest helps to focus attention on some of the region’s key skills gaps, and works with SSCs to attract new talent into their sectors. It also flags up future employment opportunities and promotes the region as a place of opportunity, with a wealth of exciting careers.

The cornerstone of Careers Northwest is a series of 25 sector-based fact sheets which deliver well-researched sector-based information about the major areas of employment opportunities and the types and levels of skills required. The fact sheets highlight the types of jobs available in each sector and the qualifications people need.

Rob Bevan said: “This is part of a broader Cogent strategy to promote science-based careers and to explain the options available to the education community. Our research tells us that there are still a number of image problems associated with jobs in our sectors and it is important that we continue to communicate the realities and overcome the myths."

The research reveals how the UK's productivity growth rate could be raised by a quarter of a percentage point per annum, per worker. This was found by rating the performance of 3,000 UK firms using a Company Performance Index (CPI) that captures the way firms need to blend strategy across five core areas - Customers and markets; Shareholders and governance systems; Stakeholder relationships; Human resource practices; and Creativity and innovation management.

The findings suggest that if only 10% of the companies stuck at the bottom of the performance league table upped their game and moved into the top third, that elusive Treasury target of increasing productivity growth by a quarter of a percentage point per worker per annum, would be met. This would add value to the tune of £1,600 per worker per annum and lift the GDP of the UK by £2.5 billion.

Cracking the Performance Code is the first report of its kind to explain how firms put into operation the strategies of the five areas of the CPI, through five 'intangible factors' of production - structure, culture and employee relations, communications, leadership and process.

The way top scoring firms work is radically different to the way bottom scorers work, the research has found. In top firms, structure was found to enable rather than drive performance. Processes were simple, though not simplistic and designed to expedite decision-making. Risk-taking is encouraged and if things go wrong, procedures allow changes of direction quickly and easily.

Communication in top scoring firms goes up, down and across and it is an organisational objective to confer with unions and works councils and share knowledge with those on the factory floor or out in the field.

Leaders of the highest performing firms are seen and heard. There is little hierarchy, and people at the top strive to deliver resources and technology so their teams can get the job done. Although the buzz around leadership currently focuses around the 'transactional' and 'transformational', leaders of top scoring firms are stewards of their organisations rather than visionaries.

As well as explaining how firms succeed, the report also outlines recommendations for the business community and policy makers to enable the bottom two-thirds of the index to move upwards.

Sir Tom McKillop, Chief Executive, AstraZeneca said: "The findings of this report have the potential to make a major impact on the productivity of UK business. The importance attached to the role of successful innovation in high performance organisations is most welcome."

The signmaking industry is increasingly diverse: from craftsman signwriters through to traditional sign businesses producing architectural and illuminated signs and fascias to the new developments of high-tech sign businesses specialising in vinyl signs, large format digital printing, vehicle liveries and even building building-wraps.

Employers now operate in an environment in which there are a range of planning and legal requirements as well as technical complexities and where extremely high standards of design, quality and workmanship are expected. The industry requires people with the right skills and motivation.

Apprenticeships can provide an excellent solution. They are nationally designed training programmes for young people who have already left full-time education or are already in employment.

They provide young people with both on and off-the-job training and they can earn a living at the same time. And employers are entitled to funds towards the cost of the training which varies depending on the size of the sector.

Peter Crowther, Cogent's Products and Services Project Manager said: “The Signmaking Framework has been developed with industry support. It meets the national requirements for funding and ensures a common approach to developing young people entering the industry.”

The Government, HEFCE and RCUK welcomed the Committee’s Report on Strategic Science Provision in English Universities. 

The main work of implementing policy on HE science falls to the HE Funding Bodies (HEFCE in England) and to the Research Councils. Both RCUK and HEFCE have been active in assessing the health of “strategic disciplines” and advising on the conditions that might necessitate intervention and the form that it should take.

The Secretary of State for Education and Skills has recently received advice from HEFCE on the provision of strategic subjects (including, but not limited to, science subjects) and notes the Committee’s concerns about the funding of strategic subject provision, and especially about the distribution of funding between departments. The Government notes that it has made a substantial and sustained investment in the HE research base in recent years and is committed to continuing to do so.

The Government also states that it is not and should not be its sole support, however, and another element of its strategy has been to increase the capacity of HE institutions to draw in funding from sources other than Government.

It particularly welcomes the Committee’s recognition that student demand is fundamental to addressing not just the issue of departmental closures, but the underlying issue of maintaining a good supply of talent to all parts of our science base. Such a supply is indeed key to realising our ambitions for UK science, as outlined in the Science and Innovation Framework.

Young People

However, it also says that it should be noted that the overall number of young people studying for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degrees has been rising steadily. Today there are 120,000 more young people studying for STEM degrees than in 1997/98 and the percentage of the total number of students taking STEM degrees has gone up from 38% to 41%. These include large increases in those studying the biological sciences but also a 78% increase in those studying computer sciences and a welcome 38% increase in those studying mathematics.

The physical sciences student numbers have remained fairly constant at 50,000 and the only areas where there has been a decline are engineering and technology degrees, which have gone down from 87,000 in 1997/98 to 80,000 in 1999/2000 though this figure seems to have now stabilised. The number of doctorates awarded in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics has also risen from 7,850 in 1997/8 to 9,865 in 2002/03, a 26% increase.

The report says that Sector Skills Councils, such as Cogent, should help the Government and universities to improve their management of the interplay between the supply of, and demand for, graduate skills.  “In particular, we recommend that they develop a system of 'kite marks' for employer-led higher education courses. This would send out much clearer signals to students about the likely value to their future career of the course that they choose. It would also help to avoid the problems associated with the overprovision of courses, such as those in forensic science, relative to the number of jobs available.”

It is part of the RPC Group, Europe’s leading manufacturer of rigid plastic packaging, and is unique in offering products made by all three main conversion processes, blow moulding, injection moulding and thermoforming. The company has 46 autonomous sites in 12 countries, employing more than 6,500 people.

RPC services a comprehensive range of customers - the larger European manufacturers of consumer products, such as Unilever and Kraft to small national businesses.

The RPC site in Oakham in Rutland employs 450 people around the clock, seven days a week on a fixed shift system. Job roles include packing staff, setters, engineers, warehouse staff and technical print and moulding operatives.  RPC has seen year on year growth of turnover, a successful performance in a highly competitive marketplace.

Gillian Doughty, Personnel Manager, who has been with the company for six years, has taken up the challenge of consolidating what was previously a disjointed and ad hoc approach to training and development.  She explains: “It was essentially the Investors in People (IiP) programme that set us on the path to a more holistic approach to workforce development.”

Gillian has worked closely with Cogent SSC IiP specialist and Regional Team Leader, Bill Erskine to embed the IiP approach right across the RPC organisation.  Gillian said: “In the past we had a rather sporadic approach to investing in our people. Our managers had very good intentions, but we were using a range of training suppliers and there was no evaluation of the training itself.”

Kaizen
Over the past eighteen months RPC has been working with a fresh approach, and as part of this has introduced a number of new initiatives  One of the most successful has been 'Kaizen' which has seen cross-functional groups coming together to consider issues such as scrap, down-time and making working life easier and more productive in general. The benefits include both greater flexibility and productivity.

The Kaizen method of continuous improvement originates from Japan and is a concept for change. The key elements are quality, willingness to embrace change and the involvement of all employees. The end result is improved morale and performance improvement.

Gillian says: “Investors in People is about good management, and means that an organisation's success and performance is directly linked to the quality, ability and commitment of its staff. We believe that RPC staff have an important contribution to make to the overall success of the business.”

Regular appraisal is an important aspect of the IiP approach, as is both job-specific and developmental training. RPC Containers conducts some areas of training in-house. The company employs four training officers, and there are twenty production operatives who are also trained trainers.

The training and development programme includes management development, supervisory skills and a comprehensive series of NVQs from packing, moulding and setting through to printing and supervisory.  Two training officers have recently completed the NVQ in Level 4 Training and Development and one further individual is undertaking the qualification.

One member of staff has just completed a Modern Apprenticeship, yet another has recently joined the Modern Apprenticeship scheme and the company is looking to take on more young people, with Gillian noting the government funding for apprenticeships is a very welcome boost.

RPC Containers is also involved in the Young Apprenticeship Scheme (where 14-16 year old school students spend part of the academic year based with an employer) and support this locally, with Gillian representing local businesses at the Council 14-19 Strategic Partnership Meeting,  A Graduate Scheme is also in operation, which is a two-year programme, mainly for engineering graduates.

Gillian relishes the challenge - which can at times be very demanding as the company HR department has a strength of two.

She says, “We have made great strides, but the challenges are ongoing. Like many other companies who took part in the recent Cogent SSC survey, we still face recruitment and retention difficulties - particularly as people continue to leave the area to pursue careers in areas that are already terribly oversubscribed! But if people stay beyond six months, they tend to stay with us long-term.”

Indeed RPC has many long-serving and committed people who have given twenty-five to thirty years' service to the company.

Gillian says that RPC has recognised the importance of developing people: “You can have the best machinery in the world - but without skilled and contributing people, the organisation would grind to a halt.”

She also notes that skills needs have changed dramatically in recent years - for example, engineers now need IT skills. RPC is working with Grantham College to upskill team leaders and operations trainers, amongst others, in this area.   

Gillian is now turning her attention to “putting more depth” into the structure - including succession planning and working more closely with the management team as a business partner.  She says: “We have invested hugely in new plant and equipment and we need to ensure that we maintain our investment in our people.”

Two-way
RPC is committed to a two-way process which includes quarterly team briefings and Toolbox Talks. There is also an Employee Forum and an in-house magazine, as well as employee surveys. The most recent of these was managed by Cogent Regional Team Leader, Bill Erksine. Says Gillian: “We did one two years ago, so we will use that as the baseline and develop an action plan to move forward on the issues which will no doubt arise from the most recent survey.”

RPC is also a part of the local Polymer Network and Gillian reports that she finds this invaluable in relation to finding out about funding and best practice, as well as updates around skills issues from Cogent SSC and the Lincolnshire and Rutland Learning and Skills Council.

Adds Gillian: “Cogent is working on behalf of local employers, to find out the skills we really need here in Rutland. It’s all very well having our young people going off to do, for example, media studies - but the jobs just aren’t there.

“We need engineers and process experts. And we need all the help we can get in positioning our industry as one that offers a solid career and plenty of opportunities. It would also be very nice to keep people in the area - many feel the need to move out, but the jobs are here - we just need to develop the right kind of skills.”

Bill Erskine added: “RPC Oakham provide an outstanding example of the benefits of integrating a comprehensive workforce development policy with challenging Business Plan objectives. Sustained success in a competitive marketplace has resulted and a culture of continuous improvement embedded to maintain progress with future business development"

The Cogent Nuclear Advisory Council will meet again on Tuesday, 20th September 2005 at the Firgrove Hotel, Warrington.

A buffet lunch will be available from 12.30 p.m. and the meeting will start at 1.15 p.m.

An agenda will be issued before the meeting. The following subjects will be included:

• Nuclear Labour market intelligence survey report
• Sector Skills Agreement
• Cogent nuclear programme
• National Nuclear Skills Academy proposal

If you would like to attend please email  [email protected]

Diary dates for next year are as follows:

Wednesday, 1st March, 2006

Wednesday, 13th September, 2006.