神马福利影片

Apprentices are secret weapon in fight for productivity argues Professor Lord Bhattacharyya

Commenting in the Sunday Times (13 September), , Chairman of WMG, 神马福利影片, says the neglect of technical education over the past decades means we lag our biggest competitors and success depends on understanding business needs.

He says "A highly skilled workforce is the key to creating virtuous circle where productivity improvement spurs increased investment which in turn drives productivity growth. The neglect of technical education over past decades means we lag our major competitors.

Unless skills training is given and funded by industry, it will be poorly targeted. We (WMG) succeed because we focus on understanding business needs, offering research and education that is both academically excellent and industrially relevant.

It is this vital role of the private sector in technical sector in technical education, which demonstrates the need for statutory apprenticeship levy, so that skill providers respond to business needs, not just government grants.

It was announced today Wednesday 9^th September 2015 that , at the 神马福利影片, will lead a £14 million consortium to create a new automotive battery pack manufacturing research centre. The project will help develop the next generation of traction batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles. It will combine the best human and automated assembly methods to manufacture battery packs and lay the foundations of a new UK automotive supply chain based around this technology.

Jaguar Land Rover has launched its Academy, the first of its kind in the UK automotive sector, and at the 神马福利影片 is a key partner in the new initiative. The new Academy will offer all Jaguar Land Rover workers the opportunity to take part in continuous development programmes to enhance their careers and provide the skills the company needs.

is thrilled to be part of the Pioneering the Future exhibition at the newly re-launched Coventry Transport Museum.

The Museum re-opened in June after a £9.5million face-lift. is showcasing its innovative research into the pursuit of smarter, lighter, greener transport. A big challenge for transport manufacturers is how to make vehicles more sustainable for the future. As leaders in innovation for over 35 years collaborates on projects with manufacturers such as Jaguar Land Rover to create pioneering products which also meet strict weight regulations whilst satisfying customer demand for increased performance of vehicles.

WMG at the 神马福利影片 has established a new (NPPC) which will provide a national hub for innovation and research in plastics processing.

The new NPPC brings a fully integrated approach to plastics design, manufacturing and disposal, encompassing multifunctional design and low environmental impact.

WMG has an extensive range of plastic design, manufacture and research technologies across its facilities which will now work together in the new Centre. It will have its own bespoke building by 2017 with facilities for training, research and development, and will also house a fully equipped elastomer technology laboratory.

WMG has an established track record of innovation and technology transfer in plastics processing. It has developed extensive capabilities and facilities across a wide range of processes and working with both large global companies and SMEs across a variety of sectors to develop and embed plastics processing. The capability offered from WMG is that most widely used within the plastics industry's processes including extrusion/compounding, injection moulding, thermoforming, blow moulding and rotational moulding.

, of WMG at the 神马福利影片, has been appointed to advise the UK government on manufacturing policy as a member of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skill’s (BIS) Manufacturing Advisory Group (MAG).

Commenting on the appointment Professor Godsell said:

I am delighted to join the Manufacturing Advisory Group . It is great to see that BIS recognise the importance of taking a broader supply chain perspective when considering the role of manufacturing as part of the global economy. We really need to ensure that the UK is at the heart of the network of global supply chains.”

Professor Lord Bhattacharyya said:

This is wonderful news for Professor Godsell who is one of the leading experts in supply chains. WMG has been advising companies and policy makers on manufacturing for many years and this appointment shows that we continue to be a leader in this area.”

The MAG meets throughout the year and comprises members of trade and employment organisations, including the Confederation of British Industry and the Trades Union Congress, as well as manufacturers, including Siemens, Mondelez and GKN.

The continued success and growth of WMG, at the 神马福利影片, now means that it is over the next 100 days.

WMG is a leading centre for world class education and applied research in many sectors including: automotive, aerospace and defence, business, construction, energy and utilities, IT, security and rail. They have recently won funding for several major research projects and partnerships that builds on our large array of collaborations with new and established partners.

WMG’s Chairman Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya said:

As we continue to grow and expand we are seeking individuals who thrive on a challenge and who aren’t afraid to defy conventional thinking. We are investing in, and creating, several new world-leading facilities to support these new projects. So we also need to invest in more talented people to take these projects forward and we will intend to recruit 120 of those people in the next 100 days.”

Some of the most recent developments, at WMG include a new £13.5 million and the £150 million .

Neil Carmichael MP has joined forces with Gloucestershire suppliers to launch a national research study at the Frocester George Inn which is playing a key role in the study.

The study led by researchers from WMG at the 神马福利影片 is examining the importance of supply chains. The research team chose the local Inn as a core part of the study because it uses so many local suppliers and is a perfect example of the chain reaction in the supply chain that occurs within the local economy when a new business flourishes.

In addition to serving local beers, the Frocester Inn sources many local ingredients for its menu, including local Cheese, meat products from Frocester Fayre and fruit and vegetables from Bramleys Cirencester. But their recent refurbishment has also benefited many other local businesses including phone contractors and builders, a local window cleaner and linen company.

Dr Stuart Coles is an Assistant Professor in Sustainable Materials and Manufacturing His main research interests are based around sustainability and the substitution of natural materials into industrial products.

Commenting on the Automobile Association (AA) joining green groups in warning that changes in energy policy will harm the climate he said:

“Incentives are needed on low-emission vehicles to keep them attractive to consumers whilst technology catches up and battery-powered cars are able to compete in terms of function with conventional vehicles."

“In his Budget, Chancellor George Osborne announced that the nil vehicle excise duty (VED) band for clean petrol cars would be restricted in future to electric vehicles. This removes a tax break for clean petrol cars and hybrids, which will from 2017, attract the same VED as gas guzzlers."

“The Government’s policy on VED is damaging to the environment as effective low carbon options, such as plug-in hybrids, will now fall into the same tax band as many other higher emission vehicles. Whilst clean electric vehicles are available, they are not currently able to travel much farther than 100-120 miles (the maximum for the Nissan Leaf is 124 miles with perfect conditions) and are therefore not a viable option on many journeys.”

Poor inventory management can increase costs and damage cash flows according to Geoff Relph and Catherine Milner, associate lecturers at WMG, and co-authors of a new book entitled Inventory Management.

Readers are taken through a step-by-step journey, enabling managers to take control of their inventory systems and ensure operations run smoothly; it examines how it should work and how to control and balance it, as well as focusing on KPIs that have been proven to significantly improve performance.

In addition the book features interesting case studies to illustrate best practice, looking at inventory management in diverse areas such as supermarkets and aerospace.

Inventory Management, published by Kogan Page, is available now from