Funding - what funding?

The survey was carried out in conjunction with the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills (BIS) and with support from IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology), EEF (The Manufacturers' Organisation), IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) and Intellect.

The aim of the survey was to assess the level of awareness and uptake of 18 manufacturing support services, provided by government initiative. The results are to be used to generate actions to further improve awareness and continue to boost the manufacturing sector in the UK.

The 446 participants revealed a disappointing average index of only 34% awareness of the schemes, whilst 16% of respondents were already using or considering using them.

The most popular schemes amongst those surveyed, with 70% and 69% awareness respectively, were the Apprenticeship Service and the R&D Tax Credits. The schemes that manufacturers are least aware of are the Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot and TRS (Talent Retention Solution).

In terms of take up, 28% of those surveyed were already using the Apprenticeship Service for their companies. Interestingly, the scheme to which most companies were signed up was the R&D Tax Credits, with almost a third of respondents confirming that they are involved in the scheme.

Overall 14 out of the 18 schemes had awareness levels below 45% and user levels of 11% or less.

More information about the survey and the schemes available can be found on the GAMBICA website http://www.gambica.org.uk/ManufacturingSupport. The reference contains a lot of useful information about the various schemes, as well as the statistics on awareness.

The survey has highlighted the need to increase communication about the manufacturing support schemes in general and in addition to prioritise those schemes with the lowest awareness levels. BIS and the stakeholder organisations involved in the survey will create a forum that will carry out actions with this aim in mind.

By creating a community of associations, institutions and their associated networks, it will be possible to interact with a wide audience for who the topics are both relevant and important.

The channels to disseminate information will include:

Events, seminars and conferences

Newsletters and brochures

Press articles

Website and social media

Interest group and member meetings

A further survey will be carried out on an annual basis, to assess progress in raising awareness and uptake of these schemes.