The announcement that the first ever 4x4 model from Bentley will be made in Britain, along with the GDP increase in manufacturing of 0.4% spells good news for the sector, according to Andrew Nicholas, managing director and manufacturing practice leader at interim management and executive recruitment company Executives Online.
Mr Nicholas said: “Reports from the CBI show that there’s rising optimism in UK manufacturing, and the decision by Bentley to make its SUV in Crewe, rather than Bratislava as previously thought, will additionally help to build confidence and longer term strategic investments.
“More than 1,000 jobs are expected to be created and £800m investment has been promised by Bentley for its headquarters in the northwest.
“This will help to strengthen and stabilise the UK supply chain for this sector, as well as having a positive effect on employment by safeguarding existing jobs, building skills and increasing training opportunities for apprentices.”
The news is hot on the heels of a £1bn investment from government and the car industry to build a new advanced propulsion centre to research and develop greener low-carbon engines.
The government believes the 10-year venture could secure at least 30,000 jobs and create many more.
The UK produced 1.58m vehicles last year, and is the fourth largest vehicle producer in Europe. Every 20 seconds a car, van, bus or truck rolls off a UK production line and over 80 per cent of these are exported to more than 100 countries.
Mr Nicholas said: “We need to make sure the long-term future of the entire sector is secured by being flexible. Global trends have created competitive pressures as well as opportunities, and manufacturers need to continue to move offerings towards innovation, new products and services.
“We’ve seen a history of innovation in UK manufacturing, with companies increasingly engaging our services to find employees who are able to support their efforts to become more flexible, efficient and competitive.”
He said that the manufacturers’ organisation EEF report Flexibility in the Modern Manufacturing Workplace, produced in partnership with Executives Online, showed that innovation in products, services and processes, investment in modern machinery and the ability to tap into new export markets were “the cornerstones of competiveness”.
Executives Online is an executive recruitment company that employs a unique blend of online methods and personal, professional service to deliver targeted and cost-effective recruitment for clients. Its executive recruitment service delivers senior directors and managers for interim and permanent roles, selected for their specific experience and skills, in virtually every functional and professional discipline. At the heart of Executives Online’s service is its Global Talent Bank, a growing and constantly refreshed network of over 100,000 candidates. These individuals represent a diverse and highly experienced resource for companies facing an urgent need for talent. www.executivesonline.com
