Latest manufacturing figures 'deeply worrying' warns IMechE
August's CIPS/Markit report on manufacturing has raised concerns that the slowdown in the global economic recovery is starting to hit the UK manufacturing sector hard.
Stephen Tetlow, chief executive of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, believes the latest figures are 'deeply worrying', not only for the industry itself, but for the young people entering into it.
Contrary to recent speculation about skills shortages in the industry, last month's A Level and GCSE figures showed a marked and welcome increase in the take-up of science and maths courses, as more and more students are opting for a career in industry.
What we now need to ensure is that they have jobs to go to once they graduate, and that those jobs are here in the UK, not abroad.
