The Hull and East Yorkshire Business, Growth and Skills Hub is partnering with training provider Humberside Engineering Training Association (HETA) to host a free specialist breakfast briefing event covering all matters related to employment, skills and training in the regional manufacturing sector.
Operated as part of the hub’s Hull & East Yorkshire Manufacturers Network, the event will provide an overview of the current skills and training trends and challenges within the Hull & East Yorkshire manufacturing sector and will showcase the currently available funding and support available for workforce skills development. The briefing will also spotlight how HETA are supporting manufacturers via a range of technical apprenticeship courses.
Taking place from 8-10am on Thursday 17 July at HETA’s site on Dansom Lane in east Hull, the event will offer delegates the opportunity to network over breakfast refreshments from 8am, before a series of presentations from expert speakers in HETA main teaching space from 8:30am.
Chris Howell, employment & skills manager at the HEY Business, Growth and Skills Hub, will provide delegates with an overview of the current skills and training needs within the regional manufacturing sector, including the latest data available form the Humber Local Skills Improvement Plan (LSIP) team.
Carl Southcoat, workforce development business advisor at the HEY Growth Hub, will then present on funding and support available for manufacturers to upskill and train their workforce.
Jo Silverwood, partnership development lead for Skills Bootcamps at Hull City Council, will then showcase the currently available Skills Bootcamps aimed at the manufacturing workforce, before Charlotte Hogben, sales and marketing manager at HETA, gives an overview of HETA current apprenticeship and training offer to regional manufacturers.
The session will close with a brief guided tour of the HETA facility, including a visit to a new £500,000 manufacturing process test rig which HETA makes available for local manufacturers to use for staff training and development.
Jon Brunton, growth hub manager at the HEY Business, Growth and Skills Hub, said: “In our recently published regional manufacturing sector insight report, 58 per cent of manufacturers consulted have faced challenges in recruiting skilled workers.
“What’s more, 63 per cent of firms stated that technical skills training was their number one priority in terms of workforce development.
“We’re therefore pleased to be holding this event that will explore all things employment, skills and training in the world of manufacturing.
“Delegates will hear the very latest trends relating to employment and skills in the manufacturing sector, as well as learn about the current funding, support and training available to help drive upskilling across our regional manufacturing base.
“We encourage as many members of our manufacturing as possible join us for this informative and useful breakfast event.”
Iain Elliot, chief executive officer at HETA, said “We’re always proud to welcome our local manufacturing employers to HETA – after all, it was employers who founded us, and we’ve never lost sight of that.
“Supporting the industry is at the heart of everything we do. Events like this allow us to strengthen those relationships, understand the evolving needs of the sector and continue to deliver the skills and training that industry demands.”
For more information and to book your free place at this breakfast briefing event, please visit Employment, Training & Skills Breakfast Briefing for Manufacturers Tickets, Thu 17 Jul 2025 at 08:00 | Eventbrite or email growthhub@
