OCTOBER 2020 COMMENT
Nice to know
you’re listening
CHRIS BECK, EDITOR chris.beck@markallengroup.com
Credit where it’s due: for everything that the government has got
wrong over the past few months (storing testing details on an
obsolete Excel fi le, paying a visit to Barnard Castle), it’s also got
things right. The furlough scheme, for instance, has saved untold jobs –
and companies – and the Chancellor’s winter plans, while vague, should
help weather the second wave through the end of this year.
However, one highlight that has gone under the radar for many is the
government’s announcement for lifelong learning for anyone who has
left school without A-Levels. It didn’t help that the PM announced the
scheme on the same day he ‘mis-spoke’ about restrictions in the North
East, but isn’t it a damning indictment that the press chose to focus on
that rather than a potentially game-changing approach to skills provision
in the UK.
Talking of “closing the pointless, nonsensical gulf” between academic
and practical careers may seem hypocritical from a man who studied
classics at Oxford before embarking on a career as a journalist (not that
there’s anything wrong with that, I hasten to add), but it’s at least a sign
that the mood is shifting.
The industry has been calling out for more recognition of ‘vocational’
learning for years. As the pandemic – and, let’s not forget, Brexit – shine
a new light on the fragility of certain sectors of our economy, we will
need a new army of workers to do the jobs that for too long have been
seen as ‘unfashionable’. There’s no guarantee that Boris’ grand plan will
work, of course, but if it does, we all stand to benefi t. C.Beck
Editor Chris Beck
chris.beck@markallengroup.com
Art Editor Neil Young
Production Manager Chloe Jeakins
chloe.jeakins@markallengroup.com
Circulation Manager Chris Jones
circulation@markallengroup.com
Publisher Paul Fanning
paul.fanning@markallengroup.com
Sales Director James Slade
07860 715084
james.slade@markallengroup.com
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Mission statement
The events of the fi rst half of 2020 have thrown into sharp focus the importance of the
manufacturing sector to the UK – from automotive giants producing parts for ventilators
to gin distilleries developing hand sanitiser, the stories to arise from the pandemic have
been inspirational. Our role at Manufacturing Management has never been clearer: to
support the industry during its recovery, and showcase the exceptional work being done
on shopfl oors up and down the country to get the UK economy back on its feet.
With over 70 years of heritage as Works Management magazine, we aspire to help
our readers realise growth in their sites’ productivity and profi t through the thoughtleading
content we provide in every issue.
ISSN 0374 4795
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