The recent approval for the new nuclear plant at Hinckley Point had businesses across the region breathing a sigh of relief. Hundreds of companies locally and further afield pre-registered to become part of the supply chain solution for EDF Energy and its contractors with the aim of securing long term work in the region. With 90 major tier 1 contractors requiring further supply chain contracts of their own, the opportunities for businesses in and around the region are huge.

Many smaller local businesses took the step to improve their own staff development and training and internal processes with the aim of being ready and able to meet the demands of the project. The project which will take approximately 10 years to complete will provide more than 25000 jobs and have more than 5000 people working on site at any time. It is anticipated that it will provide 900 permanent jobs on completion.

Whilst there are mixed feelings generally about the building of the new Hinckley C facility, there is no doubt that it will bring a much needed boost to the local economy. Training programmes were put in place by the Tier 1 contractors alongside local councils and colleges to ensure that a skilled workforce is ready and available when needed. And it’s not only the improvement of skills within existing companies that are hoping to be part of that project where help is being given. Projects have developed to give the local workforce to develop new skills that will enable them to have better opportunities.

Companies like Costain who are one of the many tier 1 developers, already run their own supply chain development academy supporting small and medium sized suppliers. The academy, which began in 2012, puts delegates through 3 months of extensive structured learning and development to help them become better equipped and more robust organisations. The programme covers all areas of business, helping businesses to identify areas where improvements can be made. Risk, finance, human resources and environmental issues are just a few of the 18 areas covered within the programme. But in addition to the learning, the programme aims to help businesses achieve the Costain vision of building a long-term sustainable business that creates more economic, environmental and social value through greater corporate responsibility.

Good supply chain management is essential to the effectiveness of business operations and whether you are the person at the top, middle or bottom of that supply chain you need to be looking for continuous improvement. That improvement also needs to be apparent in all areas of your business. As well as efficiency and cost effectiveness, businesses must consider the ethical and environmental issues within their supply chain.

PRV Engineering was pleased to be invited to the Costain Supply Chain Academy in 2015. We are dedicated to investing in our business and our staff whilst remaining at the cutting edge of engineering. Providing excellent customer service is the highest of our priorities, so the Costain Supply Chain Academy enabled us to review everything we do with a view to seeing where further improvements could be made. Our economic, environmental and social responsibilities matter to us and that is reflected in our CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) ratings.

PRV Engineering manufacture for a wide expanse of industries providing a huge range of products and services. With the addition of our latest hydro-abrasive waterjet cutting machinerywe have the ability to cut all materials to an extremely high standard and finish.

Read more about the whole Hinckley C project here.

Image credit: Mike Alonzo

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