Tag Archives: Engineering

27 Mar 2015

With only 2 months to go, PRV is preparing for this year’s Subcon Show.
Subcon is the UK’s only event completely focused on contract and subcontract manufacturing, including machining, moulding, fabrication, electronics assembly, casting and forging, finishing and treatments.

In it’s 32nd year, the Subcon Show makes it possible for buyers, specifiers and decision makers from all industry sectors to come together. The ability to compare suppliers, source solutions, develop partnerships and ultimately, do business in one place helps those people remain competitive in a global market. This year there are many overseas countries being represented including; Spain, Italy, Portugal, Denmark, Sweden, Hungary, Greece, Latvia, Czech Rep, India, Taiwan, China and the USA.

5 Dec 2014

It’s not all doom and gloom within the world of manufacturing in the UK. Anything but.

Experts might believe industry in Britain is still lagging behind when it comes to embracing new technology, but manufacturers are confident of delivering improved productivity in the next two years.

The 2014 Growth Report, from investment firm Albion Ventures, suggests three-quarters of manufacturing businesses are confident of increasing productivity thanks to improved market conditions.

And on a regional basis, the figures stack up too. It’s reported that 90 per cent of SMEs in the North West of England are confident about increasing their productivity.

17 Oct 2014

Earlier this year we reported on the lack of Women in Engineering. This is due, in some part, to the perceptions of what a career in engineering involves.

Studies have shown that many female students believe engineering is all about fixing cars, getting their hands dirty and coming home with black faces and dirty nails. As a result, they steer clear.

It has caused widespread concern. So much so, that earlier this year, business secretary Vince Cable suggested the shortage of engineers, and in particular a shortage of women in engineering, provided a serious threat to recovery.

At that stage – and figures are understood to have changed very little – only 8 per cent of British engineers were women. That compares unfavourably with 15 per cent in Germany, 25 per cent in Sweden and 30 per cent in Latvia.

14 Aug 2014

Attracting engineers into the industry has been a topic of conversation for many engineering employers in recent years. Many will tell you that engineers are hard to come by and that schools and colleges are doing precious little to help the situation. Sir James Dyson has even gone on record to express his concerns.

Here at PRV Engineering we have seen at first hand how apprentice engineers and young qualified engineers are hard to come by. As managing director Simon Jones said, “It’s becoming increasingly difficult to get youngsters interested in engineering and as a result, we find it increasingly hard to recruit the right kind of person.”

30 May 2014

The organisers of Subcon 2014 are hoping for another bumper year. Last year, Subcon 2013 experienced a 64 per cent increase in the number of visitors through the door. More than 4000 people turned up and it’s hoped that even more will flock to the NEC, Birmingham, for Subcon 2014.

What’s at Subcon 2014

The UK’s only show of its kind, Subcon 2014 will once more run alongside the new Advanced Manufacturing Show and The Engineer Conference. The show is aimed at showcasing the latest technology and the finest manufacturing services in the world dedicated to contract and subcontract manufacturing.

23 May 2014

What does the word engineering mean and what does an engineer do?

If you ask most youngsters these days, they will almost certainly paint the picture of a brown collar worker with dirty hands and overalls. The same goes for many adults too. Therein lies the problem for most engineering company managers who find it increasingly frustrating when it comes to recruitment.

As PRV Engineering managing director Simon Jones said recently; “The problem is this. Kids don’t do metalwork and woodwork in school because of health and safety issues. As a result, they not only don’t know anything about our industry, but they don’t have any desire to pursue a career in engineering. That is why we find it so difficult when it comes to recruitment.”

17 Apr 2014

For the past month or so the loss of the Malaysian Airlines flight, MH370, has dominated the headlines on every news channel around the world. Where is it, how did it get there and why is it taking so long to establish it’s whereabouts are the unanswered questions.

Helping with the search has been a state of the art unmanned submarine which has been probing the bed of the Southern Indian Ocean. Armed with some of the latest underwater imaging and navigation systems, experts believe the Torpedo shaped vessel represents the best chance of finding the missing plane.

27 Mar 2014

A great deal has been spoken and written in recent times about the current state and the future of the engineering industry in the UK. Not only does Sir James Dyson claim he could employ another 2000 engineers if they were out there, but figures for graduate engineers entering the business, pale into insignificance when you compare them with those in other parts of Europe. Simon Jones, Managing Director of PRV Engineering in Pontypool, South Wales, is concerned about the future of the industry.

“It’s failing miserably,” said Simon. “There’s a lack of investment and a real lack of skill. It just doesn’t exist in this country anymore and engineering doesn’t exist in any child’s vocabulary anymore.

13 Mar 2014

A lack of senior engineers and in particular, a serious shortage of female engineers, has been a common theme in recent years.

The figures make for disappointing reading when it comes to female engineers. The United Kingdom is falling behind many of its European neighbours when it comes to attracting women into the industry.

However, Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Foundation chairman, Lord Browne of Madingley, has called on parents to take a fresh look at engineering and encourage their sons and daughters into the profession.

20 Feb 2014

British industry still suffers from a lack of engineers. Such is the concern  that business secretary Vince Cable believes the shortage provides a serious threat to recovery. In particular, Cable highlighted the lack of women currently working or actively seeking employment in the British engineering industry.

Only 8% of British engineers are women, which is the lowest proportion in Europe. Compare that with Germany (15%), Sweden (25%) and top-performing Latvia (30%) and it’s easy to see why there is such deep-seated concern.

Research suggests the problem starts long before young people choose a career with many youngsters ditching maths and science as soon as they can. It’s a trend especially marked for girls.

A recent article in the Sheffield Star highlighted the concern. The newspaper reported that only 14 per cent of students at the new University Technical College, are girls. At the newly opened training centre at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, just four of the 160 engineering apprentices are female.

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