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Manufacturing Industries
“…..for the first time in ……….the history of the Western industrialised world – there are more people working for government at all levels (18.7 million) than in manufacturing (18.1 million). (Martin L Gross, American writer and commentator from ‘A Call for Revolution’, 1993)
 Manufacturing employs around 218,300 people in Scotland, over 9% of the Scottish workforce.
It is currently a growing sector in the Scottish economy, and is expected to grow by between 1.5% and 5% in 2011. Job prospects are likely to be stable, especially if you are highly skilled.
Less skilled manufacturing jobs can easily be moved to countries where wages are cheap and workers are plentiful.
Scotland, like most European countries, can't compete with cheaper foreign manufacturers in making traditional products like steel.
So, manufacturing here has had to change to survive. Scottish manufacturers now often specialise in work like product design and development, or 'after-care' services - making products that need to be maintained or upgraded, like sophisticated engineering equipment. See the 'Engineering' career area for more information.
We have focussed on some traditional products, like whisky, high quality textiles, food and furniture.
Here, we’ll look mainly at clothing and textiles, food and drink, and furniture manufacturing.
Raw materials for clothing and textiles are made into yarns and then into fabrics:
- some raw materials are natural – like cotton and wool, and some are man-made – like nylon and viscose
- fabrics include knitted and woven material for clothing or furnishings, as well as things like carpets, lace and rope.
The fashion and textiles sector employs around 17,700 people - about 0.7% of all Scottish jobs. The level of jobs in this sector is expected to fall slightly. However, there will be a demand for highly skilled workers.
The food and drink sector employs around 49,000 people in Scotland and is our top exporting industry. The range of products is huge - some of them are:- biscuits, cakes and tinned, dried or frozen fruit and vegetables
- meat products, like sausages and pies, as well as sweets and savoury snacks
- beers, lagers and (especially in Scotland) whisky. Scotland is the main distilling manufacturing area in the UK.
A high number of food and drink manufacturers are based in Glasgow, Aberdeenshire and South Lanarkshire.
Although employment in this sector is expected to fall by about 3% this will be more than offset by jobs coming up as a result of people leaving the sector. Scotland will need 16,000 new workers in this sector between 2007 and 2017. Over a third of the current workforce will retire in the next twenty years.
Any job losses are likely to be in low to medium skilled jobs, jobs for highly skilled staff are expected to grow.
Furniture manufacture is a small sector and job prospects are likely to be steady.
In general, the need for unskilled workers is decreasing. Firms use modern equipment and need highly skilled staff.
If you are going to work in manufacturing, you must be practical, responsible, reliable and methodical. You may be in places where dangerous tools and machines are used, so you must observe safety regulations.
You can get into some jobs without qualifications. You might be able to work your way up to become a manager. You might find opportunities through Modern Apprenticeships, Skillseekers or New Deal. You can study for Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) while you are working.
You can take qualifications at all levels, from 1 year National Certificates (NC) or National Qualifications (NQ), through Higher National Certificates (HNC) and Higher National Diplomas (HND) to degree courses, before you apply for a job.
The jobs in this career area have been divided into 4 sectors:
- Manufacturing general
- Clothing and textiles
- Food and drink
- Furniture.
Sources
The Food and Drink Manufacturing and Processing Sector in Scotland, Scottish Sector Profile (2009) - Skillfast UK/Alliance of Sector Skills Councils
Manufacture of Distilled Alcohol Drinks, LMI Profile (2009/10) - Improve/Alliance of Sector Skills Councils
The Future of Food and Drink, Working Futures 3 (December 2008) - Improve (Food and Drink Sector Skills Council)
Fashion and Textiles, Scottish Sector Profile (2009) - Skillfast UK/Alliance of Sector Skills Councils
The Food and Drink Manufacturing Industry in Scotland, LMI Profile (2009/10) - Improve/Alliance of Sector Skills Councils
Manufacturing in Scotland: Securing Scotland's Future - Institution of Mechanical Engineering
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