Birmingham has become the latest city to join a global network of design and digital consultancies set up to solve real world challenges through effective problemsolving.

Design Factory Birmingham will have its base at Aston University, one of just two hubs in the UK outside of London.The university will be sharing its expertise in artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, data science, and web, app and graphic design to boost the local economy.Currently there are 39 innovation hubs in 25 countries across five continents based in universities and research organisations.

For further information www.bit.ly/3wgzYR

The UK manufacturing sector achieved productivity improvements worth £48.5bn in 2023, an 8.6% increase on 2022, according to analysis of ONS data by FourJaw Manufacturing Analytics. Chris Iveson, CEO at FourJaw, says: “Manufacturers have realised that production excellence is the only viable strategy for combatting supply chain uncertainty, high energy costs and skills shortages. UK manufacturers know they’re only earning when their machine spindles are turning, sothey are adopting technology to see what’s happening in their factories and using data to optimise processes and decisionmaking.”

For further information www.fourjaw.com

The University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre will become the first training provider in South Yorkshire to deliver a new composites apprenticeship in a move to sustain the longevity of the capability within manufacturing.Together with McLaren Racing and McLaren Automotive, the AMRC Training Centre will deliver a new advanced level composites technician apprenticeship, in addition to the metallic machining apprenticeship the centre is already delivering with McLaren. 

Alongside McLaren, Wirral-based Teledyne CML Composites, which specialises in the manufacture of composites parts and assemblies on some of the world’s most advanced aircraft platforms, is also supporting the new apprenticeship – with the aim that more companies will come on board in the future. 

For further information www.amrctraining.co.uk

In-Comm Training has joined forces with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to help unemployed people into advanced manufacturing jobs.The independent training provider, which operates two technical academies in Aldridge and Telford, has created a fast-track course that aims to create up to 65 new CNC machinists and electro-mechanical fitters for RTX’s Collins Aerospace factory in Wolverhampton.

A pilot scheme for the first cohort of 10 people started in January, with each participant receiving a mix of theoretical and practical technical training that will see them learn turning, milling, hand fitting, CADCAM and three- and five-axis CNC machining. Backed by over £200,000 of funding by the WMCA, the course will take six months to complete.

For further information www.in-comm.co.uk