Product category:
Engineering Training Courses
News Release from: EEF Western
Edited by the Engineeringtalk Editorial
Team on 22 July 2004
Sales training to tackle engineering
skills gaps
A new specialist sales training programme, supported by the South West Regional Development Agency, will help advanced engineering companies combat skills shortages in the industry.
A new specialist sales training programme, supported by the South West Regional Development Agency, will help advanced engineering companies combat skills shortages in the industry and attract more business The programme is part of the Advanced Engineering Skills Project (AESP) - a GBP 4 million initiative launched in January this year that aims to equip present and future employees with the right skills for the job at each stage of their career in the engineering industry, including giving management the skills they need to create more business opportunities, particularly in exports
The South West RDA provided GBP 2 million towards the unique public and private sector project, which originated from an RDA report on skills shortages in the engineering sector.
The report revealed that 65% of all job vacancies require a higher level of skill than is currently available.
The overall training programme will run eight times at various locations across South West England.
The course will assist sales managers in drawing up long-term marketing action plans and developing their companies' export potential, as well as giving participants the opportunity to network.
The programme has been heavily subsidised by the AESP, meaning that each participant pays just GBP 1000.
Further training courses are planned to start in Bournemouth in November, with a further four courses in 2005 and two in 2006 to be determined.
Barry Warburton of the Engineering Employers Federation (EEF), which is responsible for delivering the Advanced Engineering Skills Project, said: "This is an ideal opportunity for companies to understand just how sales and marketing can benefit their companies".
"They will be able to identify where they currently are, and where they can be in terms of increased sales and customers".
"If small companies are to continue to win orders then they must develop their sales and marketing techniques".
"This course will do just that".
Gary Chambers, Advanced Engineering Sector Development Adviser for the RDA, said: "The RDA is delighted to be contributing towards this important element of the project which will assist advanced engineering companies in attracting more business".
"We're heavily involved in a number of exciting initiatives that will ensure that South West England has the necessary advanced engineering skills in the future".
Robin Jaques, from SA Partners, which is carrying out the training, said: "Our customers testify to our outstanding track record in translating the voice of the customer into significantly more effective product sales and increased market penetration".
"The company has extensive experience of devising sales and marketing strategies, helping over 250 businesses develop the skills needed to increase sales and improve productivity".
Any advanced engineering company looking to generate more enquiries from potential customers, convert those enquiries into sales and maintain customer loyalty would benefit from the training course.
By developing the skills of their staff, companies will become more competitive, helping to win the fight to improve short-term skills shortages in the advanced engineering sector.
Advanced Engineering is recognised as one of the region's most economically important sectors, worth GBP 3.0 billion to South West England with GBP 1.3 billion in direct exports.
In advanced engineering, there are 43,000 jobs directly employed in the industry and some 120,000 associated jobs.
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