 |
| "Make it in Great Britain" Credit: bisgovuk |
At the EEF Manufacturing Conference in London today, Ed Miliband
spoke about a need to be more patriotic about manufacturing in the UK. Unfortunately for the Labour Party leader,
protectionism isn’t as easy as it used to be – so how can we be more patriotic
without violating our international trade agreements?
Suggestions from Mr Miliband and others include wider use of
the “Made in the UK” mark, a greater effort to find acceptable ways for the
government to give manufacturers more money (e.g. greater capital allowances),
and even better education for the next generation’s workers.
The last suggestion holds considerable promise, though as it
stands it is too simplistic. Education focuses too often on learning what is already known. Worse still, engineering is considered irrelevant to the country’s success by many,
and anti-capitalist protests suggest that among the young, the whole idea of
gaining personally by bringing innovation and growth to UK’s manufacturers and
services is highly suspect. By failing
to educate young people effectively about the opportunities for social,
cultural, and economic advancement for all (as well as individuals) that
engineering, innovation, and enterprise bring, we are letting them down.
I recently visited a highly respected and academically league-topping
independent school for girls whose syllabus in Design & Technology incorporated
only cookery and sewing – not even covering food safety or textile
engineering. The idea that bright young
people will somehow learn about innovation, engineering, and related subjects
outside the curriculum is fanciful. A
few may be so lucky, but most will not stumble across the right sources of
inspiration, and will presumably grow up considering technology to be wholly
irrelevant to them.
What should we be doing?
First, young people need to learn about the mechanics of capitalism, and
how money is used for investment, which can drive innovations and advancements
that create jobs, better and cheaper products and services, and benefits of all
kinds touching every part of our lives.
This sounds like a very basic lesson, but it is one that is clearly
missing in the discourse of many young people today.
Second, young people – as early as possible in their education, i.e. primary school – should be introduced to innovation as something that they can get involved in, and where they can have
impact. First Lego League does this for
children from the age of 9, involving them not only in Lego robotics (a good
draw), but also in product and service innovation projects which have nothing
to do with plastic bricks. An engineer
involved as a referee remarked to me recently that the youngest teams are often
the best – and it’s important to capture their interest while they are still
young enough to “think outside the box” relatively easily.
Third, and perhaps most difficult of all, we need to teach
teachers about manufacturing and industry.
How can we expect them to impart an enthusiasm for an activity of which
they have little or no direct experience?
How do we think they will answer their pupil’s questions? They are no more likely to absorb this understanding by
chance from their private reading and hobbies than their students are.
These days, many young people who go into manufacturing learn
everything they know on the job, from their colleagues and superiors. While this is an excellent way to learn, it
is not adequate on its own – it ensures that firms carry on doing things
exactly the same way they always have.
In order to innovate and compete effectively, manufacturers need
employees who have a wider experience and understanding than they can get solely
from studying traditional methods and practices.
What does this have to do with sustainable business, the
subject of this blog? For business to be
sustainable, it must not rely on government support or protection. It needs to be able to survive on its own,
and to adapt to new conditions.
Ultimately survival depends on the ability to change. Firms will not be able to do that if their
staff think innovation is something other people do, growth is something
legislated by governments, and that design and technology are about copying
best practices that their elders pass down to them. UK manufacturing has a proud tradition of
radical innovation, risk-taking in investments, and visionary change. If there is anything to be patriotic about it
is this – as a cultural entity, UK manufacturing has led the world, and with
capable people, can continue to do so.
