The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC)in Coventry has secured a share of a £1 million grant from Ufi to help develop the use of digital technology for vocational learning in the manufacturing sector (www.the-mtc.org) .

The six-figure sum will be used by the centre to design an on-line resource that will focus on manufacturing SMEs and help them identify skills gaps to embrace emerging digital technologies associated with Industry 4.0.

Ufi is an independent grant-making charity that looks to support the delivery of adult vocational skills through digital technology; it has selected three initial projects, including the MTC’s Online Training Needs Analysis System.

Steve Picker, learning development and delivery manager at the MTC, said: “On-going training and the up-skilling of employees will be crucial to manufacturing SMEs.

“Our research shows that SMEs sometimes lack the means of identifying their skills gaps and accessing appropriate learning to meet their needs.

“They can struggle to determine the gap between their current and future skills needs, and they can be overwhelmed by the large choice of training available.

“With this funding from Ufi, the MTC aims to give SMEs a fast and easy tool to analyse their current skills and identify the future skills needed.

“The system will then recommend quality providers of relevant training solutions and access to learning materials.”

The other beneficiaries of Ufi’s £1 million pot were the National Composites Centre (like the MTC, this is also part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult) and the Association of Employment and Learning Providers.

Ufi CEO Rebecca Garrod-Waters said: “This is a critical time for the manufacturing industry; at the same time as demand is peaking, the industry’s access to skilled workers is diminishing.

“The projects we are funding will help transform how vocational learning is delivered to the UK’s manufacturing workforce, using digital solutions to up-skill workers in a cost-effective way without impacting productivity.”