Four of Bristol’s largest engineering firms involved in the aerospace, marine, defence and nuclear sectors have teamed up to tackle the vital issue of low productivity in the South West.
Working with the University of Bath’s School of Management, they are delivering a new leadership programme devised by an alliance of academic experts and industry to boost management skills, and in turn productivity.
Taking part are EDF Energy, which is developing the huge Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant at Bridgwater and employs hundreds of engineers in Bristol; Babcock International, which owns Cavendish Nuclear and has a number of plants in the city; Rolls-Royce, which makes aero-engines for military aircraft at Patchway, and BAE Systems, which has various operations at Filton spanning aircraft and ship desigand cyber security.
Low productivity is widely recognised as hindering business growth in the region, in line with the rest of the UK. But previous efforts to lift it closer to European levels have had little impact and baffled experts on why it stays stubbornly low – some 30% behind Germany, for example.
CBI research calculates that higher regional productivity could add £208bn to the UK economy over the next decade.
And research commissioned by a group of leading UK business people, led by John Lewis chair Sir Charlie Mayfield, showed that the inability of organisations to harness the full potential and capability of their workforce is a key contributor to the productivity problem.
Following the research, Productivity through People is a new leadership programme devised by an alliance of academic experts and industry.
Small-medium sized businesses in the engineering sector can sign up to the 12-month programme, which started this month, for unique access to world-class engineering organisations and leaders who have transformed the workplace.
The programme will encourage delegates to translate their learning into practical improvements for their businesses. Held at business locations and the university, it will showcase world-class manufacturing techniques used by the industry partners and offer coaching, peer support, experiential visits to businesses and on-line resources with academic content delivered by the university.
The aim is to create a network of like-minded and supportive peers – a proven element within many successful business support programmes.
The programme has run already in the North West and the aim is to roll it out across the UK in a variety of industry sectors.
University of Bath School of Management dean, Professor Veronica Hope Hailey, who is a UK expert on leadership, said: “Productivity is driven not just by upskilling one or two top individuals but by implementing progressive and efficient working practices across the whole workplace and supply chain. That is why parts of the engineering sector perform so competitively in the UK.”
The School of Management is one of the UK’s leading business schools. It is ranked first for marketing, second for accounting and finance by the Complete University Guide 2017, and first for business studies by The Times and Sunday Times University Guide 2016.
