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business & market news
16 Tube Products International May 2016
Industrial Cadets: from conversation to
National Skills Initiative in five years
Five years ago, a conversation between
HRH The Prince of Wales and Jon
Bolton, at the time director, Tata Steel
Long Products, started an initiative in
improving the workplace experiences
of young people, helping inspire and
inform them about their local industries.
Industrial Cadets has since developed
into a national accreditation for work
experiences, emphasising skills
development and knowledge of career
opportunities. Industrial Cadets is
growing rapidly, with support from
government, and leadership drawn from
many of the UK’s manufacturing and
engineering companies.
Industrial Cadets started in 2011 as a
workplace experience programme run
by Tata Steel in the northeast of England,
and developed from this so that in
2013 HRH The Prince of Wales was
able to announce the national launch
of the programme as an employer-
led initiative, under the management of
education charity EDT (the Engineering
Development Trust).
In 2014 the Department for Business,
Innovation and Skills announced
funding for the further development of
Industrial Cadets. There are now more
than 3,500 Industrial Cadets, drawn
from over 1,000 schools. More than 200
companies have run Industrial Cadet
accredited programmes, and over
400 employees have been trained as
mentors.
More than 95 per cent of cadets
identify an improvement in their work-
relevant skills such as teamwork,
critical thinking, communication and
organisation and planning. Importantly
for the vision of Industrial Cadets, 70
per cent of the cadets taking part feel
they are more likely to go into industry
as a result of being an Industrial Cadet
– a key objective.
“It is a privilege to have been part of
the development of an initiative which
is so important for the future of UK
industry,” said Mr Bolton. “Industrial
Cadets allows young people to see the
industries in their local area, understand
the careers that they offer, and it takes
the first steps in providing employability
skills which will equip them for those
careers. From that first conversation
with HRH The Prince of Wales five
years ago, an organisation of substance
and great value has emerged. Industrial
Cadets is growing quickly to make an
important contribution to UK skills.”
Industrial Cadets – UK
EPDA distributor forum declared a success
An inaugural forum on improving
efficiency in the plastics industry,
staged by the European Plastics
Distributors Association (EPDA) at
Gehr GmbH’s plant in Mannheim,
Germany, was declared an outstanding
success.
Gehr, a manufacturer of thermoplastic
semi-finished products, plates, rods
and tubes, was chosen to host the
first Distributors Forum organised by
the EPDA, which included a tour of the
company’s facilities during the two-day
event.
Helmut Gehr gave the opening address,
followed by EPDA president David
Ladyman and Gehr sales and marketing
director Thorsten Fuessinger. The
first seminar – How the 4th Industrial
Revolution Could Improve Efficiency in
the Plastics Industry – was presented by
Eva Bognor MSC, a research associate
at the Institute for Factory Automation
and Production Systems.
The following day, Mr Ladyman
led a discussion group before a
presentation by Thilo Bischoff, head
of product management at BASF
SE, on Developments and Trends in
Engineering Plastics. There were also
opportunities on each day of the event
for members to network over dinner or
lunch.
EPDA, formed in 1973, represents
companies involved in a cross section
of distribution activities encompassing
plastic sheet, blocks, rods, profiles,
tubes, pipe, valves, fittings and
numerous related activities.
EPDA – UK
HRH The Prince of Wales
meeting Industrial Cadets