New Telford Expo looks to bridge the skills gap in manufacturing

More than 40 of the West Midlands’ leading manufacturing and engineering support businesses will be showcasing their expertise at a new exhibition being held in Telford on Thursday.

The Training and Manufacturing Group Expo, which is being organised by In-Comm Training and sponsored by FBC Manby Bowdler, will provide a networking opportunity for the region’s decision makers, thought leaders, engineers and workers of the future.

Accura Engineering, Collins Aerospace, Guhring and Bruderer UK are some of the industrial heavyweights taking part, whilst specialists in recruitment, marketing, law and workwear will also be present to offer valuable advice and guidance.

The aim is to connect hundreds of industry professionals, skills advisers and educators to help bridge the West Midlands’ skills gap.

Paul Hodgetts, Business Development Manager at In-Comm Training, said: “We work with hundreds of employers across the region, many of whom are members of our Training and Manufacturing Group.

“They are fully committed to generating more workers for industry and, during our regular discussions, we came up with the idea of putting on our first-ever Expo, where firms can exhibit, and delegates can enjoy cutting-edge workshops and sessions.

“The reaction has been fantastic with 40 SMEs and large companies signed up and hundreds expected to attend.

“It’s a great opportunity to get lots of business leaders together and the floor is also open for schools and young people to attend and look at a potential career in engineering and manufacturing.”

The Training and Manufacturing Group Expo is being held at In-Comm Training’s Technical Academy in Telford on T54.

It starts at 9am on Thursday and lasts for three hours, with a key highlight being a state of the nation speech from David Gaughan, Head of Employer Services at the West Midlands Combined Authority.

There will also be a STEM Workshop, which involves practical challenges linked to the various pathways in engineering and manufacturing.

Bruderer UK is one of the  companies exhibiting. Adrian Haller, Managing Director, said: “Skill is such a massive challenge for manufacturing, so we wanted to get behind a new event that is looking to tackle some of the key issues we are facing and, importantly, boost the profile of the sector to the next generation of workers.