Industry Overview
The Glass and Related Industries is one of the world’s oldest industries with a very long tradition, steeped in history. In fact, archaeologists have found evidence of man-made glass dating back to 4000BC. Despite its historical roots, it remains one of the most progressive industries of the economy, continually evolving to meet the ever-changing needs and demands of its customers for brighter living spaces and those of the environment to reduce the carbon footprint.
The Glass and Related Industries covers the manufacture of flat glass, container glass, domestic glass, decorative glass, automotive and specialist glass. Companies range from high-tech scientific glass makers, through a whole range of growing glass processors to more traditional stained glass conservation specialists.
The Glass and Related Industries comprise around 21,600 UK workplaces, employing around 168,000 employees.
86% of the companies are small with fewer than 25 employees, but the largest 14% of organisations (25+ employees) employ an estimated 63% of the total workforce.
This industry has its largest presence in the North West of England and Yorkshire and Humberside with over 80% of the total workforce based in England.
Proskills works with employers from the Glass and Related Industries to help businesses improve their productivity and competitiveness through skills training. Extensive research and comprehensive employer consultation has identified a need to upskill current and future workforces to enable businesses in this industry to address the challenges they currently face. In particular as the current economic climate forces many businesses to make staff cut backs, there is an increasing need for the remaining workforce to multi-skill.
Skills training is required to help business address the following:
- Significant Skills shortages are particularly prevalent among front line staff, technical staff as well at managerial and supervisory level
- To help businesses ride the storm of the current economic climate and credit crunch, particularly with respect to the downturn in the construction trade
- The need to meet constantly changing consumer demands and preferences
- To support legislation compliance on Health and Safety as well as Environmental Management
- To* improve efficiencies* by tightening up processes to tackle the issue of rising energy costs and the need for more energy-efficient machinery and processes
- To drive business performance improvements to increase global competitiveness
- To keep up with changes in processes and technical technology
- Development of foreign language skills to compete on global and international markets
- Meeting the demand for shorter product life cycles and increased demand for value-added products and services