The survey was undertaken in August and September 2007. This research has been commissioned by the Advanced Engineering Skills Project and is the fourth annual report to be published.
The purpose of this research is to determine the level of skills in the advanced engineering industry and to assist decision makers in local and national government in the formulation of strategies to ensure that the industry in the region has a sufficient supply of skilled labour in order that competitiveness and productivity may be maximised. This discourse can also be a useful resource for the education sector in meeting the skills needs of the advanced engineering sector in the near future.
This report examines the constraints that organisations face as a direct result of the prevailing level of skills. Also included in this report is a glimpse of how organisations view the provision of education and whether education establishments currently equip people with the required skills for the industry.
The participants in this research were asked to give their opinion on challenges that they face in attracting and subsequently retaining individuals with appropriate skills to meet production needs.The analysis also explores the willingness of organisations to invest in providing skills that a work force may be lacking. A comparative analysis using data from previous reports is included in this research.
It is beyond the scope of this report to give policy recommendations to the findings herein.
However, it is intended to provide a reliable resource that can be used as a source of information on the challenges facing the advanced engineering sector in the south west of England, now and into the future.