Manufacturing survey calls for support scheme awareness

The survey was conducted to assess the level of awareness and uptake of 18 key manufacturing support services provided by government. The 446 participants revealed an average index of 34 percent awareness of the schemes, whilst 16 percent of respondents were already using or considering using them. 

The most popular schemes amongst those surveyed, with 70 percent and 69 percent awareness respectively, were the Apprenticeship Service and the R&D Tax Credits. The schemes that manufacturers are least aware of are the Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot and TRS (Talent Retention Solution). 

In terms of take up, 28 percent of those surveyed were already using the Apprenticeship Service for their company. Interestingly, the scheme to which most companies were signed up was the R&D Tax Credits, with almost a third of respondents confirming that they are involved in the scheme.  

GAMBICA deputy director, Steve Brambley says the aim was to create a survey that would be simple enough to complete but gather good evidence of awareness levels.

"The results indicate a wide spread of awareness levels of the different schemes, suggesting the need for specific targeted communication actions," he says. "The really positive outcome of the survey is that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) is keen to work with GAMBICA and the other survey stakeholders in order to raise awareness and promote these essential support schemes." 

A forum chaired by BIS will prioritise actions based on the results of the survey.

GAMBICA ran the survey with support from organisations, including IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology), EEF (The Manufacturers' Organisation), IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) and Intellect.

More information about the survey and the schemes available can be found here.

Looking on the bright side
New research from the University of Southampton shows that feeling nostalgic about the past will increase optimism about the future. The research examined the idea that nostalgia is not simply a past-orientated emotion but its scope extends into the future, with a positive outlook.

Dr Tim Wildschut, a member of the research team, says: "nostalgia is experienced frequently and virtually by everyone and we know that it can maintain psychological comfort. For example, nostalgic reverie can combat loneliness. We wanted to take that a step further and assess whether it can increase a feeling of optimism about the future.”

The researchers asked participants to bring to mind a nostalgic event and write about it. The number of optimistic words included in the narrative was compared to a control group who were asked to recall and write about an ordinary event. The nostalgic narratives contained a significantly higher proportion of optimistic expressions than the ordinary stories.

A further study capitalised on music’s capacity to evoke nostalgia. Participants listened to either a nostalgic or control song (which had been previously validated). Those who listened to the nostalgic song reported higher levels of optimism than those who listened to the control song. 

In another study, participants were presented with song lyrics that half the group had previously identified to be nostalgic. They were then asked to complete questions about how they felt. Those who read the personally nostalgic lyrics reported higher levels of optimism than those who read the control lyrics. The studies also highlighted the roles of self-esteem. Dr Wildschut again:

“Nostalgia raises self-esteem which in turn heightens optimism. Our findings have shown that nostalgia does have the capacity to facilitate perceptions of a more positive future. Memories of the past can help to maintain current feelings of self-worth and can contribute to a brighter outlook on the future. Our findings do imply that nostalgia, by promoting optimism, could help individuals cope with psychological adversity.”

So next time you encounter someone who you think has too much of a longing for the past, don't knock them - they may be better placed to take whatever the future has in store than you are!

Les Hunt
Editor