Much has been said about the skills gap in UK manufacturing. Large numbers of retirement-age employees are leaving the industry, taking vital knowledge and experience with them, while next-generation intake remains relatively low, limiting opportunities for critical knowledge transfer.
There is also a growing skills crisis within industry. Employees increasingly require upskilling and reskilling as the sectors around them evolve. Employers are facing a train-or-not-train conundrum, largely centred on cost. But when push comes to shove, what is the real cost of not upskilling staff and failing to create clear internal pathways for them?
Industry is moving incredibly quickly. Technology, processes, materials and legislation are evolving faster than many organisations can keep pace with. However, there is a solution: knowledge transfer strategies.
These can be developed internally or delivered through external partners, but the key to any initiative aimed at empowering and upskilling employees is relevance.
In the UK, around one third (33%) of manufacturers say their biggest barrier to growth is skills and workforce gaps. While those gaps persist, productivity falters, efficiency declines, and costs rise. The solution lies in growing skills internally. As the manufacturing landscape becomes more competitive – both domestically and internationally – training must become a strategic priority for plastics manufacturers.
How is the industry changing?
- Regulatory pressures and policy reforms aimed at reducing plastics waste and increasing recycling
- Economic pressures and global competition, including cheap imports undermining UK markets and high domestic energy costs
- Consumer demand for recycled and sustainable materials such as plant-based polymers and biopolymers
- Emerging technologies accelerating innovation aligned with smart manufacturing, connectivity, Industry 4.0 and automation
How can training help manufacturers respond?
- A well-trained and informed workforce can reduce production waste (scrap) through improved process monitoring and optimisation
- High energy consumption can be mitigated through better maintenance practices and more efficient processing
- Biopolymer and sustainable material literacy can support informed decision-making around material selection and product development
- Training enables employees to develop the digital and technical competencies required to operate, monitor and maintain advanced manufacturing technologies
A shift in priorities over the past decade has seen the focus move from increasing sales to improving productivity, innovation, digitalisation and resilience.
Training underpins all four, driving efficiency, product quality, operational reliability, and the effective use of technology.
Sierra 57’s training programmes are designed to develop skills across the injection moulding process, from entry level through to advanced. We recognise that training is not a one-off event, but a continuous journey of knowledge development.
We look forward to supporting manufacturers and their teams as they embark on their skills development journey.
To find out more about our training, please visit: Home – Sierra 57 Plastic Injection Moulding Training Courses
or email us at: contact@sierra57training.com