Meeting the Challenges: EEF South Members' Views 2008

Building on the EEF South Members Survey of 2005 which highlighted that manufacturing was at something of a crossroads, our 2008 survey focused on the subject of competitiveness and asked about the main issues facing members and how would they like these challenges to be met.

Staying competitive in the global economy is the major priority for EEF South member companies and among their key concerns are the UK’s rising cost base, exchange rate volatility and skills shortages.

In the long term, members believe that maintaining business competitiveness will rely on filling skills gaps, and they would particularly like to see a reformed system of training and education that focuses much more on business needs.

Members also believe that the complexity of the UK tax system and increasing regulation is excessive and that minimising the administrative burden being placed on business is an essential requirement in order to remain competitive.

"Meeting the Challenges: EEF South Members' Views 2008" is available to download from this page.  For more information about this report, please contact Michael Hall at EEF South.