Wednesday 23 January 2013

Stephen Metcalfe MP champions Engineering Skills in South Essex


Stephen Metcalfe, local MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, last week visited aerospace engineering firm, Gardner Aerospace to highlight the importance of engineering and manufacturing to Basildon & Thurrock.

Gardner Aerospace is one of Europe’s largest suppliers of aerospace detailed parts, sub-assemblies and total manufacturing services. The operations plant in Basildon is no exception, providing key components for the A380 air bus, employing over 200 people and offering a comprehensive apprenticeship programme.

Stephen Metcalfe commented: “We are often told that the UK cannot compete with other countries when it comes to engineering and manufacturing, but because of high quality, reliability and our innovative approach, manufacturers in the UK are still some of the best in the world and can compete on an equal basis with anyone, regardless of where they are based.”

“We should all be extremely proud to have a manufacturing company such as Gardner Aerospace. They are suppliers of quality products to some of the best known names in the industry and are a crucial component to Gardner’s global operations.”

Gardner not only takes great pride in the products they produce but also in their workforce who produce them.  Their 200 strong team includes apprentices, interns and provides options for sandwich year students from university.

Mr Metcalfe added: “Gardner have a fantastic apprenticeship programme which helps to nurture young engineering talent, ensuring that we have a solid skills base for the future.”

“In these difficult economic times apprenticeships are a vital means through which we can equip the next generation of engineers. I strongly believe that we should be driving this process. We always need more highly skilled workers and we must ensure that companies such as Gardner have a pool of talent to choose from.”

“One way that this can be achieved is by having a University Technical College in Basildon. I will continue to work to make this happen so that manufacturing in Basildon can continue to grow and thrive and build a strong legacy for generations to come.”