North West

Introducing the region

The North West is made up of five counties: Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire – which are home to 6.8 million people. The north of the region is largely rural, while the two large conurbations of Liverpool and Manchester occupy the south of the region.


Power station

Snapshot: STEM business and industry in the region

The North West has an economy worth more than £119bn, making it the UK’s largest regional economy.

The region is home to the UK’s largest manufacturing sector, and is Europe’s second largest media hub. The region currently has an annual R&D investment of over £2.2bn.

Many of the region’s most high-profile employers are STEM-related and there are increasing numbers of smaller STEM-related employers in new sectors including nuclear decommissioning and nano-materials.

The region is also home to a number of research-intensive STEM facilities including the Daresbury Science & Innovation Campus, the Northwest Genetics Knowledge Park and the Dalton Nuclear Institute.

The region contributes almost 10% of the UK's Gross Value Added.


Major STEM sectors and top employers

Aerospace – BAE Systems, MBDA

Automotive – Bentley Motors, Leyland Trucks, Jaguar Cars

Biomedical – The NHS, Gentronix, Northwest Genetics Knowledge Park, NOWGEN

Engineering – Iota Nanosolutions

Financial & professional – Premium Bonds, National Savings & Investments

Pharmaceuticals – Astra Zeneca

Digital & creative – Siemens

Nuclear & scientific – British Energy, React Engineering, Daresbury Science & Innovation Campus, Dalton Nuclear Institute

Food & drink – Unilever, Kelloggs


Looking forward

The CBI annual skills report (2010) identified 59% of employers as having difficulties in recruiting STEM-skilled employees. In 2008, Semta (the Sector Skills Council for Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies) looked forward to 2014 and reported skills gaps in the workforce, which offer opportunities for STEM-skilled individuals in the North West:

  • The North West accounts for 11% of all Engineering employment and 11% of all Engineering establishments in the UK, employing 143,300 people in 7,620 establishments.
  • The largest sectors in terms of employment are metal products, mechanical equipment and aerospace.
  • 94% of Engineering establishments in the North West employ less than 50 people.
  • 22% of Engineering establishments in the North West reported skill gaps, which was slightly higher than the proportion within UK Engineering (21%).
  • Employers in the North West expected skills gaps for skilled trades (craft) and professionals would have the most significant effect on their business.
  • The main skills cited as lacking in employees were technical engineering skills at all levels; 67% of those Engineering establishments in the North West reporting skill gaps.
  • The three main technical skills gaps for the Engineering sector in the North West were CNC machine operations, tool setting and welding skills.
  • The generic skills gaps highlighted were key or core personal skills (7%), management skills (4%), IT/computer skills (3%) and marketing or selling skills (2%).
  • Together with changes in skill requirements, qualifications demanded by employers are likely to change, with an increasing requirement for intermediate and higher level qualifications. Over the period 2008-2014 there is expected to be a net requirement within the Engineering industry in the North West for about 6,600 people at NVQ Level 2, 7,100 people at NVQ Level 3, 7,900 at NVQ Level 4 and about 2,200 at NVQ Level 5 or above.

Further information is available from the Semta Engineering Skills Balance Sheet.


STEM education support infrastructure

Several organisations are working to support the development of STEM skills in the North West. This team includes:

North West Development Agency
Stimulating economic growth and regeneration in the North West.

NCETM
Professional development for mathematics teachers.

Science Learning Centre North West
Professional development for science teachers.
Director: Amanda Smith, slc.northwest@mmu.ac.uk.

STEMNET
Enhancement and enrichment - creating opportunities to inspire young people in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Regional Director: Kevin Burke, Kevin.Burke@stemnet.org.uk.

IOP
The Institute of Physics is a scientific charity devoted to increasing the practice, understanding and application of physics.
Regional Officer: Louise Butcher, louise.butcher@iop.org.

HE STEM Programme
Supporting Higher Education Institutions in encouraging the exploration of new approaches to recruiting students and delivering programmes of study within the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Regional Director: Paul Hooper, p.d.hooper@mmu.ac.uk.

LSIS STEM Programme
Supporting the national STEM agenda with a focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning in the FE and skills sector.
Regional STEM Champion: Heather Aspinwall, heather.aspinwall@wmc.ac.uk.

ESERO-UK - the UK space education office
Using space to enhance and support STEM teaching and learning in the UK.
Regional Space Ambassador: Andy Newsam, amn@astro.livjm.ac.uk.