Email News August 2008
Foreword
This month we are updating you on the latest training opportunities on offer. From funding and new projects on the go to the success of this year's Schools Marine Challenge, skills development is top or the agenda this summer.
Posted 2008-07-30 20:50:42
Insightful report reveals the true value of marine mentors
A new report on the importance of mentoring and marine sector skills was released earlier this month by Marine South East. The report, Marine Sector Skills to Support Innovation and Recruitment, was presented to the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) by Marine South East's skills manager David Rea. The report highlights case studies and research to illustrate the value of a well run mentoring programme in the workplace. It is through the strategic use of mentoring that growth and enhancement of skills to support innovation and recruitment can be secured.
In July 2006 the Marine Sector Skills to Support Innovation and Recruitment Project was initiated to encourage marine companies to develop their workforces through the use of apprentice training schemes. In addition, the project sought to make plain the importance of continuous support and development of staff by creating relevant courses with FE, HE or other Training Providers.
Marine South East has identified that companies were becoming aware of the problems they faced due to the ageing workforce and the increasing need to recruit young people who could be trained to fill the skills gap. The project explored methods of increasing the use of apprenticeship training in the marine sector and also encouraged firms to develop the new technology skills needed by their workforce. One of these methods included the use and development of mentors within a business.
Two hundred employers were contacted as part of the project. On the whole these businesses were SME's, with a high percentage being small firms. During the initial contact, notes were made of the firms' views on apprenticeships. The experience of the companies ranged from those who were operating apprenticeship training schemes through to those who had no experience or need.
The companies recruited for the mentor training programme comprised of two large firms and twelve SME's, and all were aware of the value of training apprentices. Several were already running schemes and the remainder were either considering the use of apprenticeships to develop their workforce, or were hoping to recruit people over 25 years of age for re-skilling or up-skilling.
The development of the mentor training was welcomed by the companies and the staff who participated with the exception of one. Based on an Institute of Leadership and Management Level 2 Qualification with NVQ Level 3 Units it provided a course which enabled the mentors to work together and share their experience.
Crucially, the project validated the significant benefits which can be gained by using mentors to support apprentices and trainees. It also achieved its objective of motivating participants to cultivate suitable styles of mentoring to assist their trainees. In order to remain competitive in the global economy there is a real need for businesses to develop flexible, multi-skilled workforces by teaching them the skills required. This should be an on-going process as their staff progress through their career, from entry level to later years.
Furthermore, the project findings highlight the value of raising the profile of the marine sector with schools and colleges, and how these links can be used to an advantage when recruiting new staff. The findings also provide an example of how a company can prepare its workforce for new challenges by developing suitable training in collaboration with a partner. In addition, the report describes how companies are maintaining their competitiveness by adopting new technology and automated processes as well as ensuring that their workforces are trained and kept aware of the future business needs.
The project has identified areas of good practice for aiding workforce development and acknowledges the barriers which can impede it. For example, there are still many companies who are not adopting a proactive approach and their ability to remain competitive will be reduced as time goes on. The Marine Sector Skills to Support Innovation and Recruitment report features the differing views between the two types of companies and also shows some of the areas that the new Government skills initiatives will have to address.
The findings of this report will be integral to many aspects of meeting the workforce development needs in technology skills, whose importance has recently been explored within Marine South East's Technology Skills project. Led by Marine South East and the Farnborough Aerospace Consortium (FAC), the next phase of the Technology Skills project aims to pilot a coordinated, demand-led approach to the funding and delivery of priority skills provision across the aerospace and marine sectors in the South East.
Marine South East continues to develop further ties with the Education & Business Partnerships, training providers, and schools within the region, as well as linking them with businesses. The Schools Marine Challenge keeps on growing and is being integrated into the schools' curricular programme, and Marine South East is also facilitating in the development of a marine skills training centre in Kent.
The Government's strategy for 'World-class Skills' offers the opportunity for employers to be in the driving seat on training, education, and its direct correlation to Gross Value Added (GVA). It is hoped that the findings of this project will further encourage companies to be on the starting grid to establish a competitive position within the global market.
If you would like to receive a full copy of the report email david@marinesoutheast.co.uk or log onto http://www.marinesoutheast.co.uk/docs/research/ and click on Workforce Development
Posted 2008-07-30 21:52:39
Funding available to help companies develop skilled workers
SEMTA, the sector skills council for the science, engineering and manufacturing technologies sector, has announced details of a new £65m partnership with government to deliver urgently required skills training for workers in these sectors.
Through SEMTA, companies can access grants of between £500 and £1,800 per employee depending on what qualifications and training is needed. Support will be geared mainly towards development of lean manufacturing skills to make small and medium sized companies more competitive.
A lack of skilled workers is costing the country around £700 million a year in lost productivity, according to recent SEMTA research.
The companies who should benefit most will be those with fewer than 250 employees who may struggle to determine how skills investment can improve their business. Semta advisors will help them identify where their business needs improved staff skills, set improvement targets and measure the impact. Unlike larger companies, they will also be eligible for grants to develop Management and Leadership.
The new agreement will allow participating employers in England to train through programmes including Train to Gain and Apprenticeships. In addition, existing workers, of all ages, will be able to learn new or more advanced skills, which will allow them to progress their careers and improve productivity and competitiveness.
Philip Whiteman, SEMTA's Chief Executive said: "Our partnership with government will deliver real economic benefits to science, engineering and manufacturing. To overcome significant skills gaps and make businesses more competitive, employers need access to funding for innovative programmes like Business Improvement Techniques. These not only up-skill workers in a sustainable way, they also put employees on the qualifications ladder and provide measurable bottom line profits from quality, cost and delivery."
SEMTA's trial activities have found significant benefits. For example Kettering based Cooney Marine which employs 70 people producing stainless steel parts and fittings for yacht building, trained staff in Business Improvement Techniques. This resulted in a 123% improvement in delivery and a 139% rise in valued added per person.
The £65m will be available from the Train to Gain budget; up to 30% of the budget for level 2 and level 3 learning will now be available to train employees who already hold GCSE or A-level equivalents but who need more specific, or more up-to-date, business qualifications.
Government investment in Train to Gain will rise to over £1 billion by 2010-11, supporting over 800,000 learners to improve their skills and gain new qualifications.
Employers who are interested in finding out more about the new funding can contact Joanne Thompson or Michelle Henderson of SEMTA on 01740 627000 or visit http://www.semta.org.uk
Posted 2008-07-30 21:54:28
Marine engineers of the future? Schools battle it out on the water in this year’s Schools Marine Challenge
Students from schools from across the South East took part in this year’s Schools Marine Challenge Race Day last month with over 30 craft entered into the competition. Yet again, the standard of entries was outstanding with some really innovative entries that addressed the need for speed but which also took the environment into account with their engineering.
Winners included St Andrew's C.E. High school (Worthing) for their Solar powered boat, Quilley School of Engineering (Eastleigh) for its electric powered boat and The Leigh Technology Academy (Dartford) for its biofuel powered boat.
There were also winners for teamwork (Quilley School) and innovation (Leigh Academy). Judges also looked at how schools had performed overall in all three boat categories and looking at how they worked to get to the final race day. The overall winners were Southampton-based Oaklands Community School.
David Flowers, a teacher at St Andrew's C.E. High School in Worthing has been working with his class every evening after school to make their designs a reality.
"We really wanted to embrace the whole ecological side of making our solar-powered boat. So we set out to see what materials we could use to make a boat that had a low carbon footprint but that also performed really well."
"We eventually came up with this design, with the hull made from cow parsley stems and laminated local ash. And after testing lots of different motors we found a winning formula and our hard work paid off as we took 1st place in the solar category."
Southampton-based Quilley School of Engineering were racing in the competition for the third consecutive year and showed that year on year they have been able to hone their skills. This year they gained 1st prize in the electric category and also won a prize for teamwork.
Teacher Paul Beverley-Smith has been impressed with the commitment from his students. "It was the 4 months of hard work leading up to today that really counts, rather than how well the team did on the day itself. To be so successful this year is just a bonus. We have made the most of the tools at our disposal at school and have even made use of a pond in the school grounds to test our models. The kids have learnt so many new skills taking part and I was delighted to see how their teamwork was also recongnised."
The Leigh Technology Academy made the most of its location near Bluewater shopping Centre. The teacher commented: "Bluewater very kindly let us use their lakes to test out our designs. In fact we had a lot of local support for our entries with sponsorship from the Fire Brigade and local company Liftout. We also had a local GRP company come into the school to talk to us about making our own boat moulds which meant that we have been able to build the boats from scratch.
"We have built the Challenge into the Btec in Engineering, and the experience has been a great tool for helping the kids to learn in a fun way and work together as a group."
The hotly contested event took place at the Southwater Water Sports Centre near Horsham, with school supporters and many local businesses backing the event. Students have spent the last few months designing and building solar powered, electric powered and biofuel powered boats for Race Day 2008.
Organised by the British Marine Federation and Marine South East, the aim of the challenge is to introduce school children to the world of marine engineering. Marine companies across the South East link up with local schools to give the pupils an insight into the world of boat building.
From September the Schools Marine Challenge will be integrated into the BTEC Vocational 1st Diploma Engineering, Unit 10: using CAD Drawings. Many schools have welcomed the new engineering diploma and competitions which link with industry also help to drive skills development across the South East.
Participating schools:
Oaklands Community School
Quilley School of Engineering
Midhurst Intermediate School
Seaford College
St Lawrence College
Springfield Technology College
Manhood Community College
The Leigh Technology Academy
Oxford and Cherwell Valley College
St Andrews C.E. High School
St Anne's Catholic School
St Birinus School
The Forest School
Winners List:
Overall Winners - Oaklands Community School
Teamwork Prize - Quilley school of Engineering
Innovation Prize - The Leigh Technology Academy
Race Positions -
Winner - Methanol Boats - The Leigh Technology Academy
Winner - Electric Boats - Quilley School of Engineering
Winner - Solar Boats - St Andrews C.E. High School
Technical Prizes
Methanol Boats
Hull & Superstructure - Seaford
Powertrain - St Andrews
Electric Boats -
Hull & Superstructure - St Anne's
Powertrain - St Andrews
Solar Boats -
Hull & Superstructure - St Lawrence
Powertrain - Leigh
Go to http://www.marinesoutheast.co.uk/ongoing_projects and click on Schools Marine Challenge to find out more.
Posted 2008-07-30 20:41:46
South East school takes its designs to compete against the South West
Southampton-based Applemore College travelled to Plymouth this year to compete against South West schools in the Schools Marine Challenge competition.
Having spent the last year designing boats in the solar, electric and methanol categories, Applemore was unfortunately unable to compete in the South East competition. So they hit the road and took on 27 schools in the South West, facing some seriously fierce competition.
Applemore College were rewarded for all their effort with a 2nd prize in the solar category. David Rea, Marine South East skills manager, was delighted with the school's commitment to the Challenge. "I was delighted that after all their effort to compete they came up trumps in the solar category. They should be very proud of their achievement. The Challenge is a lot of hard work for the schools competing and we have been really impressed with the entries this year, both at the South East and South West events."
"We would now like to see more marine companies get involved with this growing event, both in terms of technical support for schools and sponsoring the prizes. Companies could find themselves working with the naval architects and boatbuilders of the future."
If you would like to get involved call David Rea on (0)23 80111 590 or email david@marinesoutheast.co.uk
Posted 2008-07-30 21:42:17
Southampton University joins forces with Lloyds Register to develop a Centre of Excellence
The University of Southampton is progressing its proposals for the redevelopment of its Boldrewood campus as a Maritime Centre of Excellence. The University has already gained outline planning permission for the redevelopment and has been working closely with Lloyds Register to develop detailed plans for Phase 1of the Maritime Centre of Excellence concept.
These plans include accommodation for the marine activities of Lloyd’s Register together with a Maritime Institute bringing together the academic and business communities in one location in the pursuit of world-class innovation, research and education. The move out of London will relocate this part of the Lloyd’s Register organisation to the heart of the UK's maritime cluster, bringing it closer to a core of the industry it serves, and co-locate its marine engineers with those of the University.
The new Maritime Centre of Excellence will be a world-leading centre for innovation, business and education in maritime engineering, engineering sciences and other relevant maritime disciplines at the heart of the Solent Maritime cluster. The proposals will have significant local, regional and national benefits for Southampton and will be a landmark development on a strategically important route into Southampton. The Maritime Institute will offer access to a range of expertise which will provide technical support for the maritime industry, and will serve as a catalyst for future maritime developments in pursuit of world-class innovation. The benefits that will result from the Maritime Institute will be relevant to all sectors of the maritime community, including small and medium sized businesses.
The University and Lloyd’s Register have been consulting stakeholders over the past few months on their Phase 1 proposals, and detailed plans for the first buildings to be constructed on the new campus have recently been submitted to Southampton City Council. It is hoped that these will be approved later this year. If you would like to find out more about the plans for this exciting new initiative they can be viewed at http://www.maritimecentre.info
Posted 2008-07-30 21:59:03
BMF launches its Autumn short course programme
The British Marine Federation (BMF) has recently launched its programme of short courses which will kick-off towards the end of this month.
RCD AWARENESS COURSE (10:00 - 16:30):
Bristol - 20 August 2008
Sheffield - 29 October 2008
THE LAW RELATING TO BROKERAGE AND BOAT RETAILERS
(9:30 - 16:30):
Marine House, Egham - 3 September 2008
Plymouth - 22 October 2008
SELLING SKILLS FOR THE MARINE INDUSTRY (9:30 - 16:30):
Southampton - 4 September 2008
CBA CODE OF PRACTICE - HOW TO USE THE NEW CODE (10:00 - 15:00):
Hatton - 5 November 2008
ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS WORKSHOP (9:30 - 13:00):
Marine House, Egham - 11 November 2008
CUSTOMER SERVICE WORKSHOP (9:30 - 16:30):
Portsmouth - 12 November 2008
HOW TO SELL - A PRACTICAL STEP BY STEP GUIDE
(9:00 - 17:00):
Poole, Dorset - 27 November 2008
For further information about any of these courses, including availability and prices, please contact Liv Whetmore on (01784) 223631 or e-mail: lwhetmore@britishmarine.co.uk
Posted 2008-07-30 22:03:10
The future of the Solent waterfront under discussion at Port City Futures conference
Earlier this week Jonathan Shaw MP, the regional minister for the South East and Defra Minister for Marine, Landscape and Rural Affairs made a keynote speech on the marine bill and its implications for the marine industry. The MP was also presented with a copy of the waterfront strategy by SEEDA representative Kathy Slack.
The theme of the event was Southampton’s position as a World-Class Centre of Excellence for the Maritime Industries and featured a number of short case studies from the private and public sectors. One of the main points of discussion was the final draft of the South East Plan.
The Plan will set out a long-term strategy for future development in the region. It will provide the guiding framework for the detailed local development frameworks and other plans prepared by local authorities. This draft has incorporated important elements from Marine South East’s submission to the examination in public which took place last year. It has now made specific reference to the retention for marine industrial use of key sites identified through SEEDA’s Waterfront Strategies, including the initial strategy for the Solent.
A further major topic of discussion was the operation of the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) which is being set up as part of the Marine Bill. There was specific mention of the future of Southampton Port and the strategic importance of Dibden in permitting possible future expansion of the port. Alan Whitehead, local MP for Southampton said that the Dibden site should remain reserved for port expansion.
Jonathan Williams, Marine South East Chief Executive, commented: “The general feeling is that if the Marine Bill is to work then it must genuinely assist the co-existence of diverse activities within coastal waters, and must not become just another layer in the already laborious consenting process. The MMO will need the expertise, resources and political clout to reach decisions, sometimes based on balanced consideration of conflicting interests.”
The event included brief presentations by a range of panelists, including Jonathan Williams, who spoke about the need to capitalize on the enormous wealth of marine capabilities and facilities in the region, particularly amongst Universities and training centres. Williams stressed the importance of working to ensure that businesses are able to influence and access this asset-base for innovation and workforce development.
Posted 2008-07-30 22:13:11
Highbury College launches boat-building apprenticeships
Highbury College has recently launched workshop based City and Guild courses in Boat Production, Maintenance and Support, which are due to start in September 2008.
Martin Porter, Highbury College’s Head of Automotive & Engineering plans to start a level two modern apprenticeship course and level three advanced apprenticeship, both national qualifications certified by the City and Guilds.
These will be tailored courses covering a range of skills involved in the construction and maintenance of wooden and fibreglass boats. They will allow students to progress into careers throughout the industry at a technician level with both large and small firms.
For more details about the courses contact Highbury Business Development Manager Rachel Weeks on 023 9231 3405
