We have good news for Aerospace and Engineering businesses.
As part of our ‘Going for Growth’ strategy, we are consulting with businesses in the area about their needs and concerns to understand how we can support them. A key priority which emerges, time and again, is skills and the need for skilled people – especially in the Advanced Engineering and Aerospace sectors. Investment in transport links and the development of business sites at Bournemouth Airport could make it of greater international significance and could bring the region major economic benefits. However, future growth depends on businesses being able to recruit and retain people with the right skills, especially at a higher technical level.
We launched a feasibility study ‘Skills Escalator’ to help meet the needs of Aerospace and Engineering Businesses in the area. In discussions with the businesses, we found that a major problem was training. Businesses were sending their employees to locations such as Bristol, Birmingham, and London. The most recent course on Technical Report writing was a two-day course in Bristol. This was incurring considerable costs for the companies and putting additional pressures on employees’ home lives affecting things such as childcare.
With agreement from several engineering companies, we approached the course providers, IET (The Institution of Engineering and Technology), to see if they would be willing to put on a course in our region. The answer was a positive ‘yes’. They would need between 6 – 12 delegates and a training room. We were confident we could provide both. The two-day course will now take place in the MAGs Conference Centre at Bournemouth Airport early next year.
Sue Racster, Resource capability Manager of Ultra Electronics NCS said:
“We value the support we’ve received from the council’s Economic Development Team to bring businesses together. Recent initiatives have provided networking opportunities and accessibility to Continual Professional Development training. This brings benefits economically, increases capability and ensures that, where possible, events are delivered locally.”
If you are an Advanced Engineering or Aerospace company and would be interested in IET courses in the Christchurch and East Dorset area, please contact Duncan Newman, Economic Development Officer on DNewman@christchurchandeastdorset.gov.uk or tel 01202 795528. To book onto the IET Technical Report writing course: http://www.theiet.org/membership/career/courses/professional/skills/tech-report.cfm