Earlier in the summer, the new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, announced sweeping changes to the education system, which included more access to work experience and connections with employers.
Part of the government’s plan to put technical education on an equal footing with the traditional academic path, the changes have been welcomed by many of us in manufacturing sector, where there is increasing demand for specialist skills, particularly in digitalisation.
We’re supporting the new changes through Made Smarter - the government-backed finance and support programme that helps manufacturing SMEs adopt new digital technologies – by pairing manufacturers in the North East with talented digital interns to drive forward tech adoption.
Providing skills and expertise businesses lack in-house
Made Smarter Digital Internships give manufacturing businesses access to a three-month, fully-funded student placement who can help them roll-out new digital projects. The experienced interns - many of whom come from our region’s universities - bring specialist skills and knowledge that many manufacturing businesses don’t have access to.
In Berwick-upon-Tweed, for example, Made Smarter business Starscape Star Ceilings, a leading manufacturer and supplier of fibre optic lighting, wanted to develop a new app that would allow its customers to control their light sources and ceiling displays. Because the company lacked the in-house skills to develop the app themselves, we helped them recruit a fully-funded digital intern through Made Smarter to bring the project to life. Stuart Flannigan, a games computing undergraduate at Northumbria University, successfully applied for the internship and joined the company for a three-month placement.
It was great to receive such positive feedback from the business. David Constantine, Senior Manager at Starscape Star Ceiling, said: “It allowed us to access the specialist skills we needed, and within a time-frame that worked for us. The chances of us finding someone like Stuart were slim, and the fact that Made Smarter was able to fund his internship was a huge bonus.
“It also meant Stuart had something he could add to his CV that was directly linked to his studies. This is something he’s developed himself - from the coding right through to the app itself. He did a fantastic job.”
Supporting manufacturers with digital transformation
Advanced Electric Machines (AEM) is a Sunderland-based business that designs and manufactures electric powertrain technologies for the passenger car, truck, agricultural and aerospace sectors. They wanted to extend their sustainability credentials by expanding the company’s carbon emissions reporting to include employees.
We helped them recruit Made Smarter digital intern Ashutosh Purohit, who worked with George Cram, Senior Process Technician at AEM, to create a new and innovative digital dashboard to collate and report both factory and employee carbon emissions.
Ash told us his experience helped him secure a full-time job after finishing his MA. He said: “I recognised the impact of the Made Smarter internship when I graduated with my Masters and began looking for full-time work. My placement with AEM gave me relevant experience that helped me stand out from other applicants. I think it’s one of the reasons I was successful in securing my role at my current employer.”
Employ a digital intern through Made Smarter
If you’re a manufacturing SME based in the North East (North East Mayoral Strategic Authority and Tees Valley Combined Authority areas) that would like to take on a fully-funded Made Smarter Digital Intern, you can sign up for the Made Smarter programme at madesmarter.uk.
Made Smarter digital intern placements can be advertised throughout the year with placements starting at a time that’s best for both the business and the intern.
Manufacturers that take part in Made Smarter also benefit from expert specialist support to create a digital roadmap tailored to their business; workshops with other North East manufacturers; and grant funding to invest in new digital technology.
To date we’ve helped more than 400 manufacturing businesses across the North East to adopt a wide range of digital solutions - everything from cobots and 3D printers to Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and Warehouse Management Systems.
If you’d like to find out how Made Smarter can help your manufacturing business, join one of the next cohorts starting in October, November, January and March. To find out more and sign up, please visit madesmarter.uk or call the North East Growth Hub on 0191 561 5468.
Made Smarter is delivered in the North East by the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority and Tees Valley Combined Authority