‘Learning factory’ to tackle recruitment challenges

A DEDICATED new learning facility to teach young people the array of skills needed for the engineering and manufacturing sectors, was the vision set out at a major business conference in Cookstown last Tuesday morning.

While soaring energy costs were highlighted as a major area of concern, the ongoing difficulty in recruiting staff to the hugely successful engineering sector in Mid Ulster continues to be the major challenge for local companies.

Leaders of some of Mid Ulster’s biggest firms were joined by the First Minister Designate Michelle O’Neill and fellow Mid Ulster MLAs Linda Dillon, Keith Buchanan and Emma Sheerin for the ‘Directors Business Breakfast’ in the Glenavon House Hotel.

Against a backdrop of unprecedented uncertainty caused by the cost of living crisis, lack of a functioning Stormont Executive and a potential Assembly election, business chiefs were given the opportunity to air their concerns about the huge challenges which are impacting on the local economy.

The event was organised by MEGA (Manufacturing and Engineering Growth and Advancement) which was set up to attract and recruit more people into the burgeoning engineering sector in Mid Ulster.

Darragh Cullen who is the chair of the MEGA network told the audience that it was important firms continue to work together through the current crisis, by using their “ingenuity, skills and collective experience”.

“Manufacturing and engineering in Mid Ulster and right across the North is facing some huge challenges. These include the current economic climate, energy costs, availability of components, shipping costs both in and out, the lack of government, impact of Brexit, the cost of living crisis…” he said.

“The biggest challenge, however, is the availability of people and in the inefficient and ineffective way that we train people.”

During a presentation given by energy expert Charles Eves from Renewable Partnerships, local business leaders were warned to brace themselves and plan ahead for future spikes in energy costs. Mr Eves said the Russian President Vladimir Putin could further restrict gas supplies which directly impact electricity costs.

Despite the catalogue of hurdles, the MEGA organisation said they were determined to build upon the recent successes for their organisation, which include the new university degree course set up in partnership with the Ulster University and a number of welding academies, which have seen over 180 people qualify as welders.

Patrick Hurst who is the managing director of MEGA said a new education facility – dubbed the learning factory – was their key vision, which they hope to realise within the next few years.

“The learning factory is very much a vision for us, two to three years away,” he told the Dungannon Herald.

“The whole idea, is that you take anybody that’s interested in a skill, it’ll certainly be focused around welding, spray painting, plastics and injection moulding technology and taking those people through from the most basic skills right the way through to the top end, most innovative process systems that those three manufacturing skills have. In doing this practically, you are going to include the educational piece but also it’s very much hands-on.

“It is like an apprenticeship, but apprenticeships tend to start and go fairly short in terms of their journey, but we want to take these people from the concept work of the basic way you do things, right through to the leading edge.”

Mr Hurst said MEGA would work with the local council to establish a location for the new facility. He added, “It has to be in the heart of Mid Ulster because the skills we’re talking about in the learning centre are about supplying into the Mid Ulster industry.”

Mid Ulster MLA Michelle O’Neill, said she was proud to call Mid Ulster home, due to the success of so many firms. “I have always been a big supporter of the MEGA project. I think it’s just fabulous that in a partnership way, they came together to try and solve some of the problems that the local industry has here,” she told the audience

“I am very proud to say that I represent Mid Ulster and all that comes with it, particularly in terms of the success of so many businesses that came about from back gardens and farm yards, even without government support.”

Earlier this year, Mid Ulster District Council held an event to celebrate the success of the MEGA group which was formed in 2019 between a group of eight manufacturing and engineering companies based in the Mid Ulster. The network now consists of over 60 Mid Ulster companies.

Some of their achievements have been, the establishment of the Industrial Training Centre (ITC) and associated welding academy in partnership with South West College (SWC); the establishment of the MEGA degree apprenticeship in partnership with University of Ulster (UU) Magee campus, raising £737k in additional investment in MEGA-related activities to support the Manufacturing and Engineering sector; the successful recruitment of 185 apprenticeship positions and 14 Degree Apprenticeship positions, with a further offer of 218 new apprenticeship positions available with MEGA companies in 2022.

The MEGA network is funded through Invest NI’s Collaborative Growth programme, supported by Mid Ulster District Council.

For more information on MEGA network email: maria.curran@midulstermega.com.