UK Electronics manufacturing has been in a state of steady decline for the last decade or so.
This trend seems to have continued in the face of a number of Government and cross-industry strategies aimed at restating the importance of a viable manufacturing sector.
The latest comes from the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills in the guise of the Technology Strategy Board’s skills initiative and despite the history of the last 10 years it is important that everyone does not give up on UK manufacturing.
“It is crucial for the health of the economy that electronics manufacturing maintains not just a foothold, but a major presence in the UK. Many commentators have recognised the increasing drift towards a service orientated economy. Because of this, we are very vulnerable to a general downturn in the demand for services,” said Henry Parker, programme manager for technology markets at industry lobbyist Intellect.
According to one distributor the number of people employed in electronics in the UK has fallen from over 90,000 to around 40,000 in the last 10 years.
”Electronics currently employs 10 per cent of the total manufacturing workforce nation-wide. As such, the sector’s role in maintaining a mixed economy and allowing us to weather a potential downturn in the fortunes of services is central,” said Parker.
For most manufacturers the economics of low cost regions such as China and Poland are irresistible, so is there any point to a ‘new’ Government strategy on manufacturing?
The answer is yes, because manufacturing plays a role in building the electronics skills base.
“The Government needs to acknowledge its direct role in actively creating incentives for up-skilling and professional development,” said Parker. “Existing schemes and bodies have yet to bring really tangible benefits to bear for companies active in the industry.
According to Parker, it is a fight worth winning. “We continue to lobby the relevant bodies on other more pro-active measures they can take to address the serious shortage of skills that the electronics sector currently faces,” he said.
The question the industry is asking at which level will the decline in numbers stabilise. A few years back it was thought the skills base would stabilise at 45,000 engineers, now observers speculate it could be around 35,000.