The Minister stated “I am delighted to hear of PP’s ongoing investment into training and workforce development, and the significant results that PP has achieved as a result of that investment. At a time when other businesses may be contemplating cutting back on their training investment, I am pleased to hear that through the ‘Going for Gold’ initiative, PP is able to demonstrate the value of training to other businesses.”

The Minister identifies the need for more employers to get involved in training and invest in the skills of their workforce, so that they get the most from their investment and wishes David every success with the Going for Gold training initiative; it seems to be just the sort of initiative that he would like every employer to become involved in.

David has been trying to enthuse British manufacturers to get off their backsides and to invest in workforce training. Through his Going for Gold best practice visits that he holds at his factory in the West Midlands, David encourages other business leaders to break loose from the mass of inadequate courses that are out there and answer their own workforce skills needs by using their own workshops as training drivers.

David’s fresh approach to culture change and skills training has paid dividends within PP. By establishing a system of mentoring and coaching, and addressing specific business issues; PP have raised their game expediential over the past 10 years. More important are the skills and knowledge that PP have improved within in their workforce – amassing years of invaluable expertise which is how being used to support a growing business even more.

For PP, training and the application of training formed the bedrock for their success and for the future.

Deloitte’s report identifies that access to talented workers capable of supporting innovation is the key factor driving global competitiveness at manufacturing companies – well ahead of “classic” factors typically associated with competitive manufacturing, such as labour, materials, and energy. The UK Commission for Employment and Skills, established by the government, paints an equally dismal picture. Its report Ambition 2020 says that 10 million people need to improve their skills if the UK is to achieve its ambition of being in the top eight countries in the world for skills, jobs and productivity by 2020, but predicts that we are likely to achieve just half that number. It currently ranks the UK at 16^th worldwide. It’s a wakeup call for UK manufacturing.

David Fox, chairman of PP has accused fellow industrialists of inertia and complacency as UK manufacturing continues its slide down the league of international skills. He believes competitiveness is being damaged because companies are failing to invest in building fundamental workshop skills. Unless you take the time to invest and train your workforce and help them achieve the first-rate technical skills required, you will never have anything better than a second-rate business.

In 2000 PP set up its own in-house training school and every member of the workforce now spends an average of 200 hours per year on training and improvement projects. Unlike most generic training, these projects are based on real issues that affect the company’s bottom line. Having its own in-house training school has helped PP sustain the focus on training – this in itself has helped create and fuel a positive change culture; allowing it to support innovation not only within its own factory walls, but that of its customers. This has led to its booming success despite the recession. Since 2008, PP has doubled its turnover and in 2010 was exporting 20 percent of its output to Germany, one of the most quality conscious markets in the world.

If business leaders want stop the decline of the UK manufacturing nation and are to hit the target of being in the top eight countries in the world for skills, jobs and productivity by 2020, then a little bit of what PP has been doing over the past 10 years may be the missing ingredient that is required to start that shift.

This learning approach allows staff (shop floor and office) to use the business training they have been taught to help identify improvement opportunities and to make real cost savings and process improvements to the business. This training approach has bought PP unimaginable success, not only developing the attitudes, competencies and skills of its employees, but tripling its profits; increasing turnover four-fold, helping it achieve unprecedented 99.97 per cent quality levels and working alongside other world leading companies in the following market areas:

• Food weighing and packaging solutions
• Machine lathing and manufacturing systems
• Scientific instruments
• Power regeneration management
• Mobile racking and storage systems
• Food Industry Equipment
• Printing machines for the electronic industry
• Smoke and Fire control systems
• Metal organic and chemical vapour deposition equipment
• Digital printing technologies
• Automatic food labelling machines
• Motion capture systems for animation market

PP is now using this proven and successful formula to help other companies to improve performance by embracing work-based learning. It uses interactive techniques to deliver training like “The Lean Experience, Six Sigma Success and Effective Team Leadership.” Real Business project-based learning activities and the latest Lean Six Sigma Techniques are delivered by its certified Black Belt and Green Belts. This provides invaluable knowledge and resource to ensure process adherence

PP recognizes the massive impact that the application of business improvement techniques has provided to the company’s success and growth. Their achievement is not based on theory, but by endeavouring to ensure the practical implementation of those systems. Their aim is clear – to provide you with practical knowledge and proven tools that really improve your business