Manufacturing and product design is one of the largest employment sectors in the UK - over 3.5 million people. The sector includes food and drink, textiles and clothing, printing, chemical and pharmaceutical engineering. Everything we use has to be designed and manufactured.
Employment in the manufacturing sector has been hit hard by the recession and by lower skilled jobs going abroad where labour is cheaper.
Although, in the longer term, numbers employed are predicted to continue to shrink, there will still be significant demand for new entrants with higher levels of skill. There will also continue to be demand for people to replace those retiring or leaving the sector for other reasons.
Key challenges for this sector include:
The South West has the highest proportion employed in high tech manufacturing out of all the UK regions. This reflects the significant advanced engineering and aerospace manufacturing presence in the North East of the region.
There will be an increasing need for higher level skills. Computer aided design (CAD), technical and IT skills will be in demand to improve the quality and efficiency of production.
There are likely to be further mergers in the food and drink industry. Kraft's takeover of Cadbury cost the South West 500 jobs at the Cheltenham headquarters and 400 at the Somerdale plant in Keynsham.
The M4, M5 motorways provide manufacturing and distribution firms with easy access to the rest of the UK. The docks at Avonmouth open up trade to the world. Companies taking advantage of this include Constellation, John Lewis, Superdrug, Robert Wiseman Dairies, Argos, Honda, Asda Wal-Mart, Dixons, Next and Warburtons Bakery.
Sustainable development is increasing demand for:
Those with higher level qualifications and skills in these areas of development will be in demand.
| Position | Annual salary |
|---|---|
| Quality assurance managers | £37,437 |
| Production and process engineers | £36,331 |
| Quality assurance technicians | £26,547 |
| Metal machining setters and setter-operators Tool makers, tool fitters and markers-out Metal working production and maintenance fitters Precision instrument makers and repairers |
£26,027 |
| Process operatives Example industries - glass and ceramics, textiles, chemicals, rubber and plastics, metals, water and sewerage |
£20,836 |
| Packers, bottlers, canners, fillers Labourers in process and plant operations |
£17,070 |
| Weavers and knitters Upholsterers Leather and related trades Tailors and dressmakers Textiles, garments and related trades |
£16,299 |
The salaries shown are annual, median, gross pay rates. Gross means before tax and other deductions. The median figure is the middle salary in the range of what all people in that category of job earn.
Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 2009, O.N.S., © Crown Copyright.
Many people choose to commute (regularly travelling between home and work) to get the job they want. This will show you where most of the jobs in this sector are in the region.
| Bath and North East Somerset | 3,578 |
| Bristol | 8,086 |
| North Somerset | 5,090 |
| South Gloucestershire | 16,047 |
Annual Business Inquiry Employee Analysis 2009, O.N.S., © Crown Copyright.
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