FDBusiness.com

Expert advice on the financial assistance available to the UK’s manufacturing industries will be available at this year’s PPMA Show 2015, the UK’s premier free-to-attend complete production line event for processing and packaging machinery. Joining over 300 exhibitors, the UK’s Trade and Investment (UKTI) team, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking and PPMA BEST will all be on hand to share insight into the range of opportunities available from export advice, financial assistance as well as education and training.

Available on stand A130, the UK’s Trade and Investment (UKTI) advisers will offer insight into the financial assistance available from the Government. With representatives in over 100 different markets, UKTI offers access to a network of specialist global contacts to help UK companies export their goods and services around the world. Highlighting the financial assistance available, UKTI representatives will also provide insight into the further support provided from local workshops and seminars, assistance attending overseas trades fairs, as well as a programme of events which regularly reaches thousands of businesses.

Further support and advice will also be available on stand F40 where a team of specialists from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, headline sponsors of the PPMA Show 2015, will be offering advice from day-to-day banking requirements and funding for expansion to exporting. Recognising the uniquely important role manufacturing plays in rebalancing the UK economy, Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking has pledged £1bn of new lending for the sector every year until 2017.

In addition to this, the banking group has also backed the Manufacturing Technology Centre’s new Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre in Coventry, which is due to open in September. It’s £1m per annum commitment to the centre over the next five years will support around 1,000 new apprentices in high-value manufacturing roles and contribute towards addressing the sector’s skills gap in the UK.

Finally, returning to the show after its formal launch earlier this year, PPMA BEST will be joined by the Smallpeice Trust and the Arkwright Trust on stand D101 to highlight and promote the benefits of apprenticeships throughout the industry and reveal how the skills gap can be resolved through improved engagement between the industry and the UK academia.       Ensuring that the right courses are available, and that young people are engaged and aware of the benefits on offer, PPMA BEST offers potential engineers learning opportunities at four key levels including secondary, A-Level, apprenticeship and undergraduate. This includes Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) interactive workshops, delivered by PPMA’s partner, the Smallpeice Trust, Arkwright Scholarships for 6th form A-Level students designed to identify, inspire and nurture future leaders in engineering and technical design, and apprenticeship and undergraduate opportunities including the Engineering Apprenticeship Awards.

“We’re delighted to offer exhibitors and visitors’ access to the UK’s leading experts who will be available to offer insight into the financial assistance and support available across a wide range of sectors,” said Grant Collier, head of marketing for the PPMA Group. “The UK manufacturing industry continues to be at the forefront of the UK’s economic growth strategy and this year’s PPMA Show will be a great opportunity for manufacturers looking for that all-important financial support. We can’t wait to return to the NEC and introduce our members and non-members to the opportunities available to them.”