Howells Patent Glazing, a rapidly growing local manufacturing firm, is investing in its workforce and the future of manufacturing in the Midlands by offering NVQ's to all of their staff in conjunction with Dudley College.
Undertaking workplace NVQ's has become an important part of Howells Patent Glazing's working environment, as the firm is keen to address the skills shortage that is affecting businesses like Howells in the UK.
According to The Employer Skills Survey (ESS), manufacturing businesses like Howells are most likely to encounter skills shortages when looking to recruit suitable candidates for their roles in the industry, accounting for 30% of hard-to-fill manufacturing vacancies.
One of Howells' most recent employees to enroll on an NVQ course is 17-year-old welding apprentice Reece. Working alongside long-standing employee Dennis, an experienced MIG and Coded welder, Reece will be completing his Level 3 Diploma in Engineering and NVQ Diploma in Performing Engineering Operations.
Debbie Willetts, Company Secretary said: "As a construction company, we have to keep up to date with training with IOSH, CSCS, Platform etc, but more importantly we feel its our responsibility as employers to invest in our staff. Our long-term growth strategy isn't just about processes; it's about developing our staff by building on their qualifications and in turn, passion for our business. We are really excited to be rolling out new qualifications to all our staff during the course of 2016."
With the ESS estimating that employers are spending £4.9billion to train their workforce, the continued commitment to training from manufacturing businesses like Howells is sure to have a positive effect on the current UK skills shortage, and make sure that the industry continues to thrive for years to come.
Howells sees their investment in staff as an enrichment programme to ensure that every member of their workforce is satisfied in their job role, and is able to obtain the relevant skills needed to remain ahead of the pack within the manufacturing industry.
With over 40 years of experience in the industry, Howells is continuing to show that they are here to stay. Starting as a family-run business, they are going from strength to strength and hoping that by giving back to their staff, they will see another 40 years of success.