Regional Growth Across the North West

REGIONAL GROWTH ACROSS THE NORTH WEST

State of the region at a glance

Employment

• A total of 249,860 apprenticeships have been created since 2010 – more than anywhere else in England
• Unemployment is falling, including drop of 1.7% for under 25s in the last three years
• More than 4,000 have gained employment through the Regional Growth Fund

Education/Training

• Highest number of Work Programme entrants in the country (170,650 between June 2011 and June 2013)
• 235 academies opened in the past three years.
• More than a third (35.4%) of 18-year-olds applied to go into Higher Education

Business

• The region is home to 480,515 private sector businesses
• Highest number of start-up loans awarded in the country (more than 1,000) at a total value of £6.2 million
• Almost 3,000 businesses are now working with UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) to trade internationally
• Four Enterprise Zones in the North West are creating opportunities for future growth, with nearly 300 new jobs created so far not including the additional work for the construction industry

Success stories

• Bio-energy firm H2 Energy is to create 160 jobs in Liverpool with the creation of a manufacturing and innovation centre. It is one of only a few firms in the country specialising in anaerobic digestion – a bio-refining system which turns food and farm waste into energy.
• Halewood-based Jaguar Land Rover UK has announced record September sales with retail figures up 13% compared with the same period last year.
• Rolls Royce’s Barnoldswick site is set to benefit from a £6 billion deal with Japan Airlines for more than 30 new aeroplanes.

Regional voices have their say

Steve Corcoran, Chair of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) in the North West and Chief Executive of Merseyside-based Speedy Hire Plc:

"After many years of economic challenge, the North West economy is showing visible signs of recovery across a number of its markets.

“The North West is particularly well placed, with strength in depth, across a number of key manufacturing, business services and education sectors including automotive, aeronautical, nuclear and renewable energy.

“This strong industrial base, well-developed financial and legal services sector, and strong presence in higher and university education positions the North West extremely well to benefit from the ongoing recovery.

“Whilst there is still some way to go before we can state that a sustainable recovery is fully in place, investment and employment decisions – including apprenticeship schemes – give a positive and encouraging outlook."

Case study: BAE Systems, Lancashire and Cumbria

BAE Systems has 663 apprentices in training in the North West, including 224 at its Military Air and Information sites at Warton and Samlesbury, Lancashire, and 439 at its submarines site in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.

All of the apprentices study NVQ-level qualifications and nearly 15,000 people applied for the 83 apprenticeship vacancies the company had to fill in 2013.

This year BAE Systems, which employs 13,500 around the word, is also involved in the Employee Ownership Pilot and is currently training 21 apprentices who will go on to work for supply chain businesses.

Chris Boardman, Managing Director of BAE Systems Military Air and Information:

“I believe there is nothing better than an apprenticeship for giving people the right skills to do the job.

“It gives our young people a great foundation in life. Every time I meet an apprentice, I am always proud of not just the skills we give people but the ability for them to stand out in society.

“They speak with confidence and deal with issues and I think a lot of that comes from what they get from trainers and the people who help give them these skills.”

Case study: Jaguar Land Rover, Merseyside

Jaguar Land Rover employs 4,500 workers at its Halewood site where it produces the Range Rover Evoque and the Land Rover Freelander. Last year the plant started operating 24 hours a day for the first time in its 50 year history to cope with the increased demand for its vehicles.

Richard Else, Operations Director at Jaguar Land Rover in Halewood:

“Jaguar Land Rover is the leading automotive provider of apprenticeships in the UK. At Halewood alone we have 69 Higher and 34 Advanced Apprentices, plus we have over 2000 employees who have qualified with Intermediate Apprentices in the past two years.

“An apprenticeship at Jaguar Land Rover combines the very best in real world experience and comprehensive academic learning, leading to rewarding careers. We believe that apprenticeships develop a motivated and skilled workforce, enable us to grow our skills base, and delivers better employee retention rates in the longer term.

“Our people are the future of our business and Jaguar Land Rover believes that education and engagement are essential if the UK is to flourish and address the shortfall in skilled and talented engineers of the future.”

Case study: Kids Allowed, Manchester

Kids Allowed has five childcare centres across Greater Manchester and Cheshire, which provide award-winning care for children aged between 0 and 10.

The company was set up a decade ago by Chief Executive Jennie Johnson:

“I left school at 16 and I’ve done alright for myself, so I strongly believe the apprenticeship scheme is a good way of giving teenagers the same chance to shine.

“When you’re that age you can really go as far as you want to – you just have to be given the opportunity.

“We’ve signed up 16 new apprentices so far this year, who will all be able to gain NVQ qualifications in childcare. The great thing for us is that we get to mould our employees from the start, so they get qualifications that are fit for purpose and suit our needs.

“The apprentices work slightly reduced hours so that they are able to take advantage of our in-house training academy where they learn from the best. The end result is having employees who love their job and really make a difference to children’s lives.

“Too many business owners say young people don’t have the skills they need but they don’t do anything about it. Apprenticeships are a great way of overcoming those issues and providing teenagers with an aspirational job.

“Generally, it’s been a challenging few years for us but we’ve continued to see the company grow, and we’re determined to provide a fantastic service.

“There’s definitely a bit more of a buzz this year, and the apprentices have been part of that, so it feels like the economy’s getting better and we’re coming out the other end.”

Case study: Regency Glass, Greater Manchester

Regency Glass Ltd in Leigh first started to encourage its staff to take part in apprenticeships over a decade ago. Nearly 60 employees now have formal qualifications from the scheme, and the firm recently received recognition at the National Apprenticeship Awards.

Company director Wayne Fitzmartin:

“We give all of our employees the opportunity to take part in apprenticeship training when they join us as we’ve seen a massive benefit to the business.

“The vast majority take up the offer as we allow them to do their training and coursework during work hours, so they don’t have to give up their spare time and they still get paid.

“We’ve found it helps to create much more rounded employees so that people think about the whole business rather than just their own particular job. We’ve seen a wide range of improvements from customer care to warehouse management and IT.

“The apprenticeship schemes have created a positive attitude among our employees, proved by the fact we have a really low staff turnover. Many people having worked for us for several decades.

“We’ve seen a massive positive knock-on effect on our business as well. We had a record turnover last year and we’re currently working at full capacity so it’s definitely been worth it.

“Generally, I think there seems to be a bit more optimism about the economy as work’s piling in for new build homes and we’re getting more requests for replacement windows and new conservatories, so things are definitely looking brighter.”

Case study: Bentley Motors, Crewe

Car manufacturer Bentley Motors is one organisation that is helping to support apprenticeship schemes. The company has approximately 65 apprentices at any one time at its headquarters in Crewe, working on anything from engineering and manufacturing to sales, marketing and finance.

Bentley Motors runs both advanced apprenticeships which lead to NVQ Level 2 &3 and higher apprenticeships which include a part time foundation degree plus NVQ Levels 2, 3 & 4 and can last up to four years. The firm has been running an apprenticeship programme for more than 40 years.

Ariane Reinhart, Member of the Board for Human Resources at Bentley Motors:

“Developing and sustaining a skilled talent pool in the UK and in the North West is vital to economic success and business growth. At Bentley, we need skilled and committed individuals who will help us sustain levels of excellence that are important to our own successful future.

“Apprenticeships, graduate training and industrial placements are all valuable pathways to employment and the development of much needed technical skills and expertise. It is a positive sign that the North West of England is a leader in this area.”

Case study: Sellafield, Cumbria

Sellafield Ltd has a proud tradition of apprentice training and recruitment going back over 60 years.The company charged with cleaning up Europe’s largest and most complex nuclear site, has taken on a record number of new apprentices this year.

The 121 first year apprentices add to an overall total of over 400 apprentices employed by Sellafield, mainly at the site in Cumbria but with a handful of others at the Engineering and Design office at Risley near Warrington.

The Intermediate and Advanced Apprenticeships offered by Sellafield Ltd encompass a wide variety of areas, from engineering-based subjects such as Nuclear Working and Process Manufacturing to the office-based Business and Administration. The company has also recently added a new Higher Apprenticeship in Project Management.

Les Agnew, Head of Education and Skills at Sellafield:

“The skills required to operate the most complex nuclear site in Europe are a continued focus for Sellafield, and apprenticeships are the cornerstone of our skills refreshment and recruitment strategy.

“We consider apprenticeships to be a practical and cost-effective solution in developing people with exactly the right skills, knowledge and behaviours that our business requires.

“We are constantly challenged to recruit the numbers of technically qualified people to conduct our operations, and apprenticeships provide a continued supply of highly qualified and competent people.”

“We’re recruiting more apprentices than ever before, and will do for at least the next five years.”

Case study: Barlows (UK) Ltd, Cheshire

Barlows is a family-run electrical repair business which has branches in Cheshire, Shropshire and Greater Manchester. The company now has over 250 directly employed staff and a fleet of more than 150 vehicles.

David Barlow, Head of Training and Development at Barlows:

“The apprentice training is an essential part of Barlows UK Ltd, and not an add-on. Although the business has expanded through the recession, there has been an even greater work demand over the recent year.

“Our apprentices drive the business forward, bringing enthusiasm and vigour to our workplace. We have employed 20 new apprentices this September, bringing our total apprentice employment to 70.

“Working with young people and encouraging them to achieve their goals is an essential part of Barlows’ culture. All the directors and most of the managers achieved their qualifications through the apprenticeship scheme.”