Engineering jobs embrace flexible working - 02-07-2008 - 15:57

New research has found that people in engineering jobs at half of the UK companies in the sector can now enjoy flexible working.

A study conducted by engineering consultancy company Atkins has shown engineering firms are increasingly recognising the importance of flexible work arrangements and four in ten now allow their employees to work from home, Personnel Today has reported.

Offering such benefits in engineering jobs can help to recruit and retain staff, although 16 per cent acknowledged that it is not always easy to accommodate.

However, one in six firms said they found it 'very challenging' to accommodate requests, compared with just six per cent of firms in other sectors.

Aln Griffiths, group HR director at Atkins, told the news provider: "In the engineering and design sectors, the problem of skills shortages is very well documented and it is essential that we look to keep hold of as much of the talent we have nurtured as we possibly can."

Meanwhile, staff at Peterborough engineering company Peter Brotherhood have been praised for their attention to customers and product delivery, according to the Peter Brotherhood.

Engineering jobs praised in buyout - 02-07-2008 - 10:27

Those in engineering jobs at Peterborough-based engineering company Peter Brotherhood received praise for its attention to customers as it completed an acquisition deal with US engineering firm Dresser-Rand, it has been reported.

After months of negotiations, Dresser-Rand is buying out Peter Brotherhood, which has 300 employees, for £31 million, according to the Peterborough Evening Telegraph.

Commenting on the deal, managing director of Peter Brotherhood Stephen Fitzpatrick said: "Dresser-Rand recognised the success we have forged by a clear set of values focusing on customer care and satisfaction and the delivery of great products by a highly motivated and successful workforce."

Dresser-Rand provides rotating equipment solutions to the oil, gas, petrochemical and process industries and is one of the biggest suppliers of this equipment in the world.

In related news, a new study by Atkins has found people in engineering jobs are more likely to be offered flexible work arrangements, as half of all engineering companies in the UK now offer them, according to Personnel Today.

Leicester manufacturing jobs secured - 20-06-2008 - 18:08

The Leicestershire Chamber of Commerce has praised a local manufacturer after it was awarded a £7 million aviation contract.

Hampson Aerospace Machining has been given a two-and-a-half year contract by an undisclosed company, which should secure 100 manufacturing jobs, the Leicester Mercury reports.

Small, precision parts for jet engines are set to be produced at the firm's Leicester base, which finance director Howard Kimberley said is an important contract and told the newspaper "underpins the next few years of revenue for the business".

Martin Traynor, managing director of the chamber of commerce, said the contract was a boost to the county.

"Obviously this is very good news for the company and it does demonstrate there are manufacturers within the Leicester and Leicestershire that are doing well despite the downturn."

The newspaper has reported job losses at two different firms in the area this month.

Leicester Circuits axed 47 engineering jobs, while Leicester Engineering Services has also had to cut 60 jobs in engineering.

HSE reveals 'fall in offshore engineering injuries' - 17-06-2008 - 17:23

Latest figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) show a decrease in the number of people in offshore gas and oil engineering jobs receiving fatal and minor injuries.

HSE statistics reveal an overall drop in these incidents from 75 in 1998/99 to 42 in 2006/07, Engineer Live reports.

Two fatalities are recorded for 2006/07, which is the same as the year before and compares to no deaths in 2004/05 and three in 2003/04.

An increase in the number of people in offshore engineering jobs means the combined fatal and major rate has fallen for the fourth consecutive year to 145.51 per 100,000 in 2006/07 compared to 225.4 in 2005/06.

However, recent incidents such as the evacuation of an oil platform in the UK sector of the North Sea in February and one from a rig in Norwegian water should "serve as reminders of how critical an issue health and safety is for the offshore exploration and production industry," according to the HSE.

Meanwhile, an offshore gas storage scheme set under the seabed 15 miles from Barrow-on-Furness could create 150 construction jobs in the area, according to the North-West Evening Mail.

60 engineering jobs lost in Leicester - 05-06-2008 - 10:56

Financial difficulties at Leicester Engineering Services have resulted in the loss of 60 engineering jobs, it has been revealed.

A further ten staff could also be at risk after the firm lost a major contract to a supplier in the Far East, the Leicester Mercury reports.

It is believed turnover has been reduced by a fifth by the move and coupled with rising steel prices has prompted the company to enter receivership.

Paul Finnity, a receiver at Begbies Traynor, will be handling the process and said the directors of Leicester Engineering Services decided to "wind it down before it went too far".

"It is a sad state of affairs that steel prices are going up like they are and a major client business has decide to source from overseas," he continued.

"However, there was not a lot they could do about it. You can't compete at that level."

Meanwhile, rival firm Roger Bullivant has denied it is to axe 750 engineering jobs at its base in nearby Burton-upon-Trent and at sites in Somerset and the north-east.

Manufacturing firm fined after death of engineer - 04-06-2008 - 17:38

A Warwickshire manufacturing firm has been fined £166,000 and ordered to pay £22,612 costs after the death of a field service engineer at a site in Staffordshire.

Simon Rose, a 39-year-old from the West Midlands, was fatally injured under a vehicle which was found to have inadequate wheel chocks, resulting in it moving forwards over him when the parking brake was released.

The Health and Safety Executive's (HSE) investigation found Mr Rose had been trying to fix an intermittent problem with the brake and concluded he was an experienced engineer who had tackled the issue in a competent and logical manner.

Lyn Spooner, an inspector at the regulatory body, said a lack of adequate safe systems and equipment was to blame for Mr Rose's death.

She added: "Simon was forced to improvise, which he had probably had to do on numerous occasions. Unfortunately, this time, it proved fatal.

"Regrettably, had Dennis Eagle complied with legal duties, his death would had been avoided, which is of little solace to Mrs Rose and her two young children."

Meanwhile, the HSE is to carry out inspections in Merseyside this week to protect people in construction jobs and improve accident statistics.

Engineering firm fined after employee accident - 23-05-2008 - 13:37

A West Midlands engineering company has been fined £7,000 after an employee had four fingers crushed in a power press accident.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) brought the case against Metal Products (Arden) after carrying out investigations into the incident, which occurred last June.

It prosecuted on the grounds the 60-ton press did not have a fixed guard and therefore the employee was not protected from his injury.

Wai-Kin Liu, the investigating inspector for the HSE, said the dangers for people in engineering jobs using power presses without guards are well known throughout the industry.

Serious injuries such as amputation can result from limbs becoming trapped by moving parts, he said.

Mr Liu continued: "It is has been a requirement in law for over 40 years that such machines have guards to stop serious injuries to operators and that has resulted in a significant and steady reduction of injury rates.

"It is intolerable in this day and age that incidents like this are still happening."

The regulatory body was recently backed by the Home Builders Federation, which said the HSE has the means to protect people in construction and engineering jobs.

MoD deal to 'create or sustain 10,000 construction jobs' - 20-05-2008 - 17:42

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has announced it is happy to proceed to the manufacturing stage of two new aircraft carriers for the Royal Navy, which could create or sustain 10,000 construction jobs across the UK.

Assembly will take place at shipyards in Barrow-in-Furness, Portsmouth, Glasgow and Rosyth and will be carried out by a joint shipbuilding venture between BAE Systems and the VT Group.

BVT Surface Fleet, as the organisation will be called, is expected to sign contracts with the government shortly.

Des Browne, the defence secretary, welcomed the new aircraft carriers which he states will provide forces with "modern, world-class capabilities".

He added: "This is an important day for the project and I am delighted that we are moving closer to signing the contracts for the manufacture of the carriers."

Scotland is set to be further boosted by the construction of carriers in Glasgow and Rosyth, after it was revealed BAE Systems contributed £392 million to the country's economy last year.

Web resource launched for engineers - 14-05-2008 - 16:39

An online engineering resource has been launched to provide employees within the industry with access to supplier information, as well as items such as technical papers, exhibition news and course details in the one location, it has been announced.

Website Process and Control reports NDO Consultants has developed the tool to make life easier and reduce research time for people in engineering jobs who find themselves "squeezed for time".

The resource is called Vibration Test but also extends into areas such as test services, condition monitoring and computer-aided engineering.

Neil Ovenden, managing director of the consultancy firm, said it had been aware of the need for such a site for some time, despite "great" search engines and various industry bodies having websites.

He explained: "They only meet part of the requirement, having all the information in one place is the key to saving time.

"We know that if you are involved in one area of product design or development then you will also have an interest in others, hence the broad coverage on the site."

NDO Consultants is based in Northamptonshire and has been involved in engineering since the 1940s.

Bid to attract more to engineering jobs - 07-05-2008 - 10:42

Changes need to be made if more candidates are to be convinced to take engineering jobs, according to the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

The industry needs to "dispel its image of hard hats and overalls" if more people are to be tempted into the profession, Engineer Live reports.

Deputy president of the IET, Chris Earnshaw, said it is vital to engage young people in the industry.

This can be done, he said, by making science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects more attractive to students and by targeting people who may already have left education.

He continued: "Raising awareness that choosing, or retraining, in a career in engineering and technology is entering into a profession which presents well paid, creative and rewarding opportunities is one of the biggest challenges facing the industry."

It was recently revealed the future is looking bright for the engineering sector.

The Manufacturing Institute said growth is likely to remain steady over the next few months.

More engineering jobs pledged after takeover - 30-04-2008 - 18:14

Substantial numbers of engineering jobs are expected to be created in the UK after a Middlesbrough company took over a Scottish firm.

Wilton Engineering Services, driven by the "buoyant" oil and gas sector, has acquired Project Design and Management Services of Aberdeen for an "undisclosed" figure.

The deal is, however, believed to have increased the workforce to 250 employees and could almost double annual turnover from £17 million to £30 million.

David Solely, chairman of Wilton, said the deal would allow the company to enlarge its customer base, move into new markets and secure international contracts.

He told the Northern Echo: "We are thinking in the long term, the overall strategy is to grow the business."

Mr Solely added: "It is a very exciting time for the Wilton Group. It is good news for our workforce and good news for future jobs."

The deal was brokered by the accountants Clive Owen & Co of Darlington and funded by the Royal Bank of Scotland.

New jobs for north-east after engineering deal struck - 30-04-2008 - 18:11

As many as 250 skilled jobs are expected to be created in the north-east of England after the announcement of a new engineering deal.

Chieftain has signed a "massive deal" to supply an oil and gas firm in the area, the Journal has reported.

Shares in the Newcastle company rose 7.5 per cent to 187.5p as it revealed the biggest deal in its 30 year history, without giving details of the contract.

The deal said to reflect the "massive growth" of the oil sector in the area in recent years.

Bill Taylor, Chieftain chief executive, said: "Not only does [the contract] reflect the sheer progress we have made in recent years and the inherent quality of our services offered, it endorses the world-class status of the North East of England in this demanding, high-growth sector.”

According to Thomson Financial, the firm is also hopeful of securing a second deal at some point in 2008.

Nuclear industry expansion 'could create thousands of jobs' - 26-03-2008 - 10:52

Calls have been made to expand Britain's nuclear industry, and create thousands of jobs in the process.

The business secretary John Hutton will say in a speech today that with the expansion of the nuclear sector, 100,000 jobs could be created and £20 billion added to the economy.

Mr Hutton will say today: "There has never been a greater global demand for finance, equipment and skills to build and operate nuclear power stations."

He will add that he wants Britain to be "leading the world" in the development and application of a new generation of low carbon power technology.

Dougie Rooney, from the union Unite has backed Mr Hutton, describing the nuclear potential as a "fantastic opportunity" for the manufacturing industry.

The nuclear industry currently employs an estimated 40,000 workers in the UK.

Meanwhile, during the visit of the French President Nicholas Sarkozy, prime minister Gordon Brown is expected to agree a deal on the construction of new power stations.

EEF optimistic over manufacturing future - 26-03-2008 - 10:51

The chief economist at EEF has said that he is "guardedly optimistic" over the future of the manufacturing sector.

Stephen Radley has said that he believes over the coming year the industry will continue to perform well.

Mr Radley told BBC Radio 5 Live's Wake Up To Money: "Certainly last year we saw that manufacturing probably had its best year for a decade, and I think it's a combination of strong world markets, companies doing a lot to improve their productivity and getting costs down."

He added that the sector has focused on "design, innovation, developing service offerings for customers" in order to do things that are different from competitors in lower-cost countries.

Companies in the manufacturing sector are now moving costs abroad and making more use of lean manufacturing, according to Mr Radley.

The EEF provides manufacturing and engineering support for over 6,000 engineering and technology companies.

£2m engineering research programme launched - 07-03-2008 - 13:24

Cambridge University's Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) is to launch a £2 million research programme which will look into the changes needed in the engineering industry.

The programme, called 'Support Service Solutions: Strategy and Transition', will explore how the industry must react to the movement towards providing product-related services as well as the products themselves.

Duncan McFarlane, Professor of Service and Support Engineering at IfM, said: "Engineering is an incredibly diverse industry and covers projects ranging from the repair of oil rigs to the maintenance of CT scanners in hospitals."

He went on to say that the implications for the industry of a move to new models of customer service are "enormous".

Other universities which will be involved in the study include Bath, Leeds and Nottingham.

Mr McFarlane concluded that companies will need to "reshape themselves to increase their efficiency" and to "sustain the specialist skills whilst coping with lower production levels".

Work has recently begun on a new £15 million building for the IfM.

Engineering jobs set for Teesside - 06-03-2008 - 11:56

Hundreds of engineering jobs are set to be created in Teesside as part of a £250 million project to redevelop a shipyard in the area.

A contract has been awarded to the Teesside Alliance Group to build new drilling rigs at the Haverton Hill yard.

The yard has been closed since 1980 when it was owned by Swan Hunter but will be reopened as the new plans are given the go-ahead.

It is thought that around 800 jobs will be created instantly with thousands more expected as the project is completed and as a result of the effect on other supply businesses.

The project has been described as the biggest fabrication project to be undertaken in the UK in a decade, excluding military schemes.

SeaDragon Offshore has commissioned the project. The company is currently in the process of constructing two sixth generation semi-submersibles, which it claims are among the biggest of their kind in the world.

Manufacturing industry 'performing well' - 03-03-2008 - 10:42

The manufacturing industry is performing well despite the credit crunch, it has been reported.

Research from the Engineering Employers' Federation has revealed that order balances and output in the industry is higher than the yearly average.

Steve Radley, chief economist at the EEF, said: "Despite economic uncertainty and rising costs, manufacturers recorded another quarter of growth and remain confident about their immediate prospects."

He added that it is "vital" that the budget does not make it more difficult for manufacturers to "maintain their resilience by adding to the cost pressures that they face".

More firms who took part in the survey said that they are recruiting more employees than letting people go, according to the EEF.

The research has also revealed that firms in the sector are remaining optimistic about the future, despite the uncertain financial climate.

EEF is the industry body for the engineering and manufacturing industries and supports over 6,000 companies.

EEF: Credit crunch having limited effect - 19-02-2008 - 17:32

British manufacturers are withstanding the impact of the credit crunch amid benefits from the recent fall in the sterling effective exchange rate, an expert has suggested.

Engineering Employers' Federation director-general Martin Temple told Reuters that banks are still lending to the industry at competitive rates.

Experts have predicted that tighter lending conditions will emerge in 2008 and reduce demand for British goods abroad, but so far this development has not occurred, Mr Temple told the news provider.

"Companies have told us that, surprisingly, they haven't been affected by it [credit crunch] … We keep thinking it will tighten up but it hasn't happened. The banks are giving them quite competitive rates," he commented.

Energy prices and the cost of raw materials have recently risen sharply and companies are facing a real squeeze on margins, but the sterling effective exchange rate is favouring manufacturers at present, Mr Temple added.

EEF provides manufacturing, engineering and technology services to British businesses and operates on behalf of more than 6,000 companies.

Engineering has 'optimistic' outlook - 15-02-2008 - 18:21

The chairman of Scotland's Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions has suggested that a Ministry of Defence contract will help to create a significant number of jobs in the Clyde region.

Jim Moohan said that the project to build two aircraft carriers had already seen local shipyards "invest heavily in the skill factor" in a move likely to see new apprentice engineers and shipbuilders taken on, the Evening Times reports.

Commenting on the outlook for the local industry, Mr Moohan said that the sector needed to develop new strategies to pursue "sophisticated" methods of shipbuilding, according to the newspaper.

"I am confident with the skills and experience we will have achieved through the next decade we will be in a position of strength to attract not only the European customer, but also worldwide," he remarked.

The aircraft carriers are to be constructed by a number of shipyards, including BAE Systems' Govan and Scotstoun yards, the BBC reports.

Sunderland set for jobs boost with aircraft carrier construction deal - 07-02-2008 - 14:59

The boss of a Sunderland shipyard has said that the area is in line for a massive jobs boost when work begins on two new aircraft carriers.

Pallion Engineering is one of the firms which are still in the running for the £4.6 billion contract to construct the two huge aircraft carriers which will bring a huge number of engineering jobs with it.

Work was awarded to two south Tyneside shipyards last week after they were awarded sub-contracts but Alan Dickinson of Pallion engineering says there is still work up for grabs in the area.

"To build these aircraft carriers, you need all the capacity there is within the UK. Everybody is going to get something. A&P is a nominated sub-contractor and so are we – this certainly does not rule us out," Dickinson told the Sunderland Echo.

He added that work cannot begin until contracts are signed but he has talked to BAE- the company in charge of the plans- and "they are working hard to get it signed".

Pallion Engineering's services include ship repair, offshore projects and civil engineering.