Last chance to sign up for Hub’s FINAL Made for Manufacturing programme in 2021
12 April 2021
Manufacturers in Greater Manchester have one last chance to benefit from a popular programme to help increase their productivity and get on the path to growth.
Made for Manufacturing, which is run by GC Business Growth Hub, is actively recruiting for manufacturing businesses of all sizes from across the city region.
This is the fourth and final wave of the online programme, which have all previously been oversubscribed.
With tailored advice from experts and peer-to-peer learning, the online programme for manufacturing leaders will help them to improve quality, customer satisfaction, lead times and reduce costs.
Paul Mellish (pictured below) is Engineering and Operations Director at Altrincham-based Farrat Isolevel, which has been able to create five new jobs after benefitting from Made for Manufacturing.
He said: “The course was fantastic. It was somewhat reassuring to know that there are others out there who are experiencing the same challenges – even though they are operating in very different market sectors.
“It has given me a huge amount of energy and positivity. It has also shown us what kind of support is on offer – all we have to do is seek it out and make the most of it.”
The 10-week online programme is open to 10 non-competing manufacturing companies.
Support includes virtual factory tours to observe industry best practices, workshops, and practical exercises to help business leaders commit to actions and continuous improvements.
It also identifies opportunities and priorities for competitive advantage through digitisation, additive manufacture and automation, and virtual one-to-one sessions with an assigned specialist Manufacturing Advisor.
Rachel Baldry (pictured below), Manufacturing Advisor at GC Business Growth Hub, said: “Many manufacturing leaders often feel like there is an endless list of fires to put out in their business, with another popping up every time one is extinguished.
“They end up in a vicious cycle of knowing they need to improve, but feeling unable to get to the root cause of a problem before it bursts back to life, sending them rushing over to the fire extinguisher again.
“Overcoming a firefighting-first culture needs to be driven by management. This is exactly what manufacturing leaders are achieving through Made for Manufacturing.
“The peer-to-peer element of the programme means that leaders can share their experiences and learn from others in a similar position, bringing a fresh perspective to the challenges they face. As the saying goes, a problem shared is a problem halved.”
Over the past five years, the Hub’s Manufacturing team has worked with more than 600 companies and contributed to £20m plus of sales increases.
Bury-based Carvansons is another firm that’s benefitted from this specialist support. After introducing better manufacturing processes, the fragrance manufacturer increased productivity by 30 per cent and created 13 new jobs.
Organisational Development Manager, Lisa McBurnie, said: “Our business has seen significant growth throughout the last two years, which has presented complex business challenges, particularly around continuously improving efficiencies and workplace productivity. This is where expertise from GC Business Growth Hub has been invaluable.”
The fourth Made For Manufacturing programme will run from May to July 2021. The application deadline is 16 April 2021.