PECM Issue 16 2015 | Page 31

chain and how the continued emergence of supermarket convenience outlets is shaping the market. Also confirmed for the 2015 exhibition; Keith Thornhill, Business Manager for Food & Beverage at Siemens will present the case for technology and data analytics for the digital factory of the future; Peter Evans, Compliance Engineer at the CE Marking Association will help visitors understand the CE mark; Rhys Herbert, Senior Economist at Lloyds Banking Group will explore what’s in store for the manufacturing sector including its ambitions, opportunities and challenges. Also appearing at the show, Mike Crosby, Finance Director for Burts Potato Chips will examine how sales targets and profitability have soared thanks to continued factory investment and new technology. Speaking about his appearance at the show, Mike commented: “At Burts Chips we strive to produce quality snacks for our customers that always deliver on taste and crunch. We recognise that continued investment in new technology and the factory is essential to continue the path of growth and enable us to innovate the competitive snacks sector.” Manufacturing skills gap under the spotlight The topic of the current manufacturing skills gap will be addressed in more detail at this year’s seminar theatre following the launch of the PPMA BEST initiative, a new charitable trust aimed at recruiting more young people in the industry. The new division will highlight and promote the benefits of apprenticeships throughout the industry, highlighting how the skills shortage can be resolved through improved engagement between the industry and the UK’s academia. Addressing the ingredients for success and highlight the opportunities for an engineering future in food and drink, Sam Kelly, Electrical Engineering Apprentice for PepsiCo and Hannah Whall, Graduate Project Engineer for Nestle will provide an up-to-date insight into the opportunity in engineering in the largest industry in the UK. Representing two of the routes open to young people, including apprenticeships and graduate schemes, Sam and Hannah will share their personal stories as their build a career in the UK’s food and drink manufacturing industries. Speaking about the industry, Sam Kelly, said: “The FMCG environment is a diverse industry and there are a wide variety of exciting prospects. It is this variety across the industry that is attractive with businesses working in a number of different fields which means that everyday your skills are being tested in a new way. It is a challenging but also a rewarding industry, as young people and graduates can expect a good level of responsibility from the off and personally, it is this responsibility that has been a huge confidence builder for me. I have developed not only as an engineer but also as a person.” Technology on stand B01 will also reveal a range of sustainable metal detectors for food manufacturers and packers which guarantees an exceptional return on investment (ROI). Highlighting the obstacles stopping young people from recognising these opportunities, Hannah Whall added: “There is a lack of awareness of the manufacturing and packaging industries in schools currently and young people are either unaware or uninformed of the opportunities it presents. More should be done to let young people realise the opportunities available to them. Ensuring that young people have a full picture of the opportunities on offer is crucial and should start with teachers talking to pupils.” Also exhibiting at the NEC, Peeblesbased Evolution Bottling & Packaging will demonstrate Logics & Controls’ pioneering LOGILOOK inspection machine which can fully inspect label quality using a single camera, regardless of the way the bottle is facing. The technology eliminates the common problem of merging multiple ima