FEBRUARY 2020 ROUND-UP
Did you hear... The best soundbites from around the industry
“This agreement lays the groundwork to provide well-paid, skilled jobs at British
Steel for many years to come. It will pave the way for significant investment.”
Huiming Li, chief executive of Jingye, the company attempting to buy British Steel, says
the proposed move to axe 10% of jobs will lead to more investment from the Chinese firm.
Pic of the month
“We have consistently advised that ... for the business to be successful
under new ownership, retaining high-quality jobs ... would be vital.”
The news was less well received by the unions that represent British Steel, with
GMB, Unite and Community putting out a joint statement warning against job cuts.
Rolls-Royce has opened a new, state-of-the-art factory specialising in the development of
the latest generation of jet engines. The composite technology hub, in Bristol, will develop
lightweight fan blades and fan cases. The new facility will use low-energy, very low emissions
processes and features the latest automated manufacturing methods and materials. It will
maximise the use of raw materials, reducing waste as part of Rolls-Royce’s pledge to achieve
zero emissions at its operations and facilities by 2030. The facility will focus on carbon fibre
composites, which are used in the aerospace industry to significantly reduce weight – and
therefore emissions. A carbon fibre fan system can save almost 700kg per aircraft, the
equivalent of seven passengers and their luggage. The techniques used at the new site are
the culmination of collaboration between Rolls-Royce and organisations including the
National Composites Centre in Bristol and research from universities across Europe.
MM partners with
SMAS conference
Manufacturing
Management has
been announced as
the primary media
partner for the
Scottish Manufacturing
Advisory Service
(SMAS) conference,
being held in Edinburgh
on Tuesday 26 May.
The conference,
titled Making Scotland’s
Future, brings together
industry leaders,
politicians, solution
providers and support
organisations from
across Scotland to
focus on some of the
most pressing issues
facing Scottish industry
through a programme
of keynotes, theatre
sessions and clinics.
“It’s an exciting time
for Scottish industry,
especially with the
imminent opening of
the industry-led
National Manufacturing
Institute for Scotland,
which will provide a
nationwide boost,”
said MM editor, Chris
Beck. “We are delighted
to be working with
both SMAS and Scottish
Enterprise to help make
the event a success.”
Tickets and speaker
information can
be found at
www.smas.co.uk
Gender pay gap low, but problems persist
The gender pay gap in the
engineering profession is below
the UK average, according
to a survey of nearly 42,000
engineers conducted by the
Royal Academy of Engineering
and WISE. Both the mean
(10.8%) and median (11.4%) pay
gaps for engineers in the sample
analysed are around two thirds
of the national average.
Although the gap is less than
feared, the report finds that
closing it will take concerted
effort within the engineering
profession. One well-recognised
issue that is contributing to the
gender pay gap in engineering
is the lack of women going
into the profession, and while
attempts have been made to
address this, progress is slow.
The report also confirms
that underrepresentation of
women in senior roles – rather
than unequal pay – is the single
largest cause of the gender pay
gap for engineers. Just 9% of
engineers in the top career grade
in the sample were female and
women accounted for only 8% of
those in the upper pay quartile.
Helen Wollaston,
chief executive of WISE,
commented: “This isn’t
really about pay, and it
isn’t really about women.
It’s about good business.
Our research found that
a credible action plan to
address the underlying
causes of the gender pay
gap helps recruit the best
people, engage and motivate
your employees and gives
a competitive edge when
bidding for contracts from
public sector clients.”
Rolls-Royce
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