Professional Engineering

Government appeals for manufacturing champions to promote British industry

The Make it in Great Britain campaign is aimed at transforming outdated opinions of British industry

  • Published in News.

Campaign is aimed at transforming outdated opinions of manufacturing

The government is appealing for volunteers to come forward and act as champions for manufacturing as part of a wider campaign to promote the best of British industry throughout 2012.

The Make it in Great Britain campaign is aimed at transforming outdated opinions of manufacturing. It will culminate in an exhibition during the Olympic Games that will celebrate the successes of the manufacturing sector and encourage young people to consider a career in the industry.

The campaign is part of the government’s wider drive to encourage long-term economic growth and rebalance the economy away from the financial sector and towards a strong manufacturing sector.

Business secretary Vince Cable said he wanted to help overturn the persistent myth that Britain ‘has no manufacturing industry’ and wants to find up to 30 ‘industry champions’ to take part in the campaign.

Cable said: “Despite popular belief, Britain still does make things and has outstanding manufacturing companies, large and small. Our world-beating companies have an excellent reputation for innovation. I want our young people and those who hold outdated views of British manufacturing to see that reality. That’s why we’re launching the Make it in Great Britain campaign.

“To help us do that I want our most passionate manufacturers, whether that’s ‘captains of industry’ or those just starting out in their careers, to be our industry champions. With their help, we can modernise people’s views of manufacturing and dispel the myth that ’we don’t make anything in the UK anymore’.”

The government said the industry champions will need to be knowledgeable about manufacturing. They will identify and publicise British manufacturing successes and act as advocates for the campaign and the future of British manufacturing.

The call for champions comes after a week of activity, highlighting the importance of manufacturing to the economy and, through the government’s ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ initiative, encouraging young people to consider a career in modern manufacturing.

Manufacturing minister Mark Prisk said: “For the last week, we have been celebrating the success stories of great British manufacturers and showing our young people that manufacturing is an exciting and modern career.

“When I was at the BMW plant in Hams Hall last week, I saw how a glimpse of what modern manufacturing really is can enthuse young people and challenge older people’s inaccurate views of industry. This campaign will spread the word about UK manufacturing excellence, encouraging potential investors and our young people to be part of the success stories of the future.”

The campaign will be formally launched in the coming weeks and it is hoped that the first ‘champions’ will be present at the launch event where the venue will also be revealed. There will also be an opportunity for some representatives to help identify and select the content for next year’s exhibition, ensuring that the very best of UK manufacturing is represented.