Leeds-based Surgical Innovations designs and manufactures surgery equipment. It’s a highly complex process: “This isn’t just about pressing a button on a machine,” says Birtles. “You have to know what you’re doing.” It has become increasingly difficult to track down qualified staff to operate the equipment. Birtles is disheartened by the situation: “We want to be the number one manufacturer of resposable (sic: disposable or re-usable) non-invasive surgical tools in the world. But even if I buy in enough machines to step up production, there’s no one to run them.” Well, you know what they say. If you want something done, you’ve got to do it yourself. “I’ve started taking on apprentices,” says Birtles. “We train them up on the job. It’s expensive, but it’s the only way to get good people.” It costs the company between £5-6,000 per year, on top of salaries, for each apprentice. “They attend college on day release for one or two days a week. We absorb that cost. It’s an investment in the future of the company.” says Birtles. Apprentices start as young as 16 and receive full engineering training at the plant. “We currently have three apprentices here on site,” says Birtles. “They’re good lads, they’re keen. And it’s great for us to see them coming through the business.” It’s a chilling thought: this £5m-turnover company, with profits of over half a million plans to double in size year-on-year, and the only spanner in the works is a lack of qualified people. “We’ve got to encourage the youth,” says Birtles. “Engineering isn’t seen as cool any more. They all want to do media studies.” “Other companies need to start doing this or we will face a massive skills shortage.”
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.