MANUFACTURING in the North-west will undergo a dramatic image makeover during the next year.
Delegates at the Manufacturing Institute's summer conference, held in Bolton, were told that the image change was planned to attract high calibre workers to the sector.
Advertising campaigns and awareness drives within careers agencies will seek to change the attitudes of 11 and 15 year olds.
Many in that age group regard manufacturing as a "dirty, dangerous, smelly, noisy and poor career option", the audience heard.
The conference was held at the Reebok Stadium, and attracted more than 500 industry leaders. They were told by the Institute's chief executive Dr Julie Madigan that industry is facing problems recruiting young, highly skilled people.
Dr Madigan said: "There has been a 40 per cent decrease in engineering graduates over the last decade, despite sectors such as aerospace, chemicals and pharmaceuticals looking set for a period of sustained growth.
"We must face this battle to find talented individuals. We must get out there and fight."
Neville Chamberlain, chairman of the Manufacturing Institute, underlined the problems that industry was facing.
But he added that there was much room for optimism in the future of manufacturing.
He said: "The manufacturing industry remains a vital sector of our economy, with an annual turnover in the North-west of £58 billion.
"Seventy five per cent of expenditure on research and development in the UK comes from manufacturing."
Mr Chamberlain added that manufacturing should not be overshadowed by the "glamour boy" service sector.
"More than two million service sector jobs rely upon manufacturing and the goods it produces.
"It is wrong to think that because employment has fallen in manufacturing then the sector is in freefall.
"The UK cannot survive on a solely service-based-economy."
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