Weekly bulletin – 18th January

With Brexit big in the news this week, Building announced that over 100 construction leaders will meet to discuss the implications it could have on the industry. After this week’s vote in the House of Commons, Mark Robinson, Chief Exec of Scape Group stated that, “One of the biggest concerns for construction bosses will be a further decline in the pound, leading to increased pressure on material prices.” Brexit could also have implications within the manufacturing industry, according to The Guardian.

Here at Metsec, we are prepared for all eventualities of Brexit. We work closely with our parent company, voestalpine, to make sure that whatever the outcome, we continue to work at the highest standard that we always have.

With technology getting more advanced within manufacturing, the industry is adopting a more digital approach. According to The Engineer this week, the UK government has been slow to realise the advantages and has only recently backed the technologies. Find out more below.

The apprentice levy was again in the news, with companies wanting more flexibility. Nine out of 10 firms want more according to People Management. Our apprentice programme has been in place for over 10 years, with a range of different roles available.

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Construction leaders to hold emergency summit on Brexit

More than 100 chief executives will meet at the end of the month to discuss implications of leaving the EU. The Construction Leadership Council is to convene a high-level emergency summit on Brexit, in the wake of growing fears over the impact on the industry of crashing out without a deal.

https://www.building.co.uk/news/construction-leaders-to-hold-emergency-summit-on-brexit/5097291.article

UK manufacturers can afford to wait on an EU deal, but not to crash out

Theresa May says any delay to article 50 will force companies out of Britain. But the alternative – a bad Brexit – is worse. One of Downing streets many arguments in favour of Theresa Mays Brexit deal is that further delay will persuade many of the UK’s biggest companies to stop procrastinating about their investment plans and move some or all of their activities abroad.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2019/jan/13/suspending-article-50-will-prolong-uncertainty-but-it-beats-a-bad-brexit

Brexit vote defeat – what now? Construction industry response

Industry bosses have issued dire warnings about the effect continued Brexit uncertainty will have on the industry in the wake of Theresa May suffering the biggest Commons Defeat for a government in a century last night.

https://www.building.co.uk/communities/brexit-vote-defeat-what-now-construction-industry-response/5097392.article

This week’s poll: adoption of the digital manufacturing in the UK

Late last year, The Engineer hosted a large-scale roundtable on digital manufacturing, supported by BAE systems and involving organisations from the supply chain, through R&D, and all the way through to tier 1 manufacturers in the aerospace and automotive spheres.

https://www.theengineer.co.uk/this-weeks-poll-adoption-of-digital-manufacturing-in-the-uk/

Nine in 10 firms want more flexibility in the apprenticeship levy

A large majority of companies that pay government’s apprenticeship levy wish they had more flexibility in spending it, a City and Guilds survey has found. Of the 745 levy-paying companies polled, 92% reported they would like to see greater flexibility in spending the funds, with 45% saying they wanted to allocate the funds to non-apprenticeship training courses.

https://www.peoplemanagement.co.uk/news/articles/nine-in-10-firms-want-flexibility-apprenticeship-levy