Auto industry on recruitment charge
28.06.2011 - Adrian Higgins
(1)
The Government today restated support for the UK automotive industry with details of a new pilot scheme to boost automotive recruitment.
The Minister of State for Business and Enterprise Mark Prisk (pictured) said he hoped shifting old-fashioned ideas of the automotive industry would enable recruitment of the brightest and best.
"There are some quite outdated perceptions of this industry," he said, speaking ahead of today's SMMT International Automotive Summit, in London. Prisk added it was crucial to focus on investment into human as well as financial capital.
The Minister will be visiting locations on Teeside and in the North West this week to monitor the pilot scheme 'See Inside Manufacturing' which is opening up facilities to students, teachers and schoolchildren.
A total of 39 companies from the automotive sector are expected to take part.
CEO of Ford in Europe, Stephen Odell, also spoke to voice his concern over what he described as "creeping legislation" from the European Commission, citing proposals to limit city centres to electric vehicles and a hugely increased reliance on public transport as policies he felt strongly should be subjected to the democratic process.
"I believe to allow customers the choice is the right way forwards. I worry about white papers coming out of the European commission."
