MILLIONS of pounds will be poured into creating Teesside jobs for apprentices who have lost theirs during recession.

The Chemical Industries Association last night (24 June 2010) hosted the Chemical Industry Awards in Liverpool. The awards are the premier accolades for the UK chemical industry.

Responding to the Chancellor's Budget Statement, chemical and pharmaceutical businesses today welcomed some steps in the right direction to address the needs of business.

Please see below for July training course dates to be provided by the Health & Safety Laboratory (HSL), an agency of the Health & Safety Executive.

Products and services for engineers in the process industries NEPIC, the North East Process Industry Cluster, has announced a seminar to update members and invited guests on key aspects of safety and competency management.

The Cogent SSC Women and Work Programme is a new initiative for the science-using industries to support the skills development of women, particularly into non-traditional technical roles.

G&A Moulding Technology has been granted Centre of Excellence status by the National Skills Academy Process Industries in the UK. The injection moulding training and services company says it is the first training provider in the plastics industry to receive this national accreditation.

One North East today unveiled a multi-million package of support for Tees Valley businesses with the potential to create and safeguard 573 jobs.

The North-east languishes at the bottom of the British manufacturing league table after being hit by a string of plant closures and job losses. But can news that car giant Nissan is to invest in the area accelerate a manufacturing revival?

SPark, the Bristol and Bath science park, will be home to the UK’s National Composites Centre ( NCC ) – a brand new research facility for composite materials, which are increasingly used to improve efficiency in the aerospace, automotive and wind turbine industries.

The government today launched key programmes to ensure the UK economy is supplied with the skills needed to fuel the growth of key new industries in the coming years.

Phil Jones, CEO of the National Skills Academy Process Industries was saddened to hear of the sudden death of Ashok Kumar MP for Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland yesterday....... he was a great supporter of the Process Industry in the Tees Valley and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him....our thoughts are with his family and friends at this time.

Commenting on the death of Dr Ashok Kumar MP, Vice Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for the Chemical Industry,

The National Skills Academy Process Industries has launched a 'pay as you go' Business Partner scheme, with a view to giving businesses access to affordable training and skills support from top process industry experts.

The National Skills Academy Process Industries has referred over £1 million worth of training business to its Accredited Training Provider network in a just a few weeks.

THE first tanker of sustainably produced bioethanol has been despatched from the UK’s and Europe’s largest wheat bio refinery which recently started production.

Outstanding apprentices and their employers are being urged to enter the Apprenticeship Awards, as the deadline for nominations is fast approaching. The Awards, run by the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) and sponsored by City & Guilds, celebrate the achievements of apprentices and the businesses that employ them.

Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle upon Tyne, Wednesday 14th – Friday 16th July 2010 THE INSPIRATIONAL Youth Engineering Show will once again return to the North East this summer

SKILL challenges facing the UK’s chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries could threaten jobs in a sector employing 28,000 people in the West Midlands, it is claimed.

A free business breakfast this month organised for the West Midlands by the National Skills Academy Process Industries and Cogent in partnership with West Midlands Business Link.

New research commissioned through the National Apprenticeship Service and the British Chambers of Commerce has revealed that 60% of engineering companies that employ apprentices said they made a positive contribution during the recession.

Apprenticeships in the Chemicals, Polymers, Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology sectors.

A YOUNG scientist who wants to inspire young people in the North-East to consider a career in process industries, is to plug the impending skills gap in the sector by becoming an ambassador for the cause.

More than half of the 250 jobs lost after the closure of a chemical firm on Teesside will return after the company was bought up by a Korean concern.

THE process industry continues to be a driving force in the Tees Valley economy. Undoubtedly stormy economic waters have rocked the sector in the last 18 months and high profile closure announcements have included Croda, Dow, Invista Textiles and Elementis. But the sector remains key to Tees Valley’s future.

Within the current economic and political climate there is a huge amount of emphasis put on sustainable business practice. Embracing this agenda is critically important for the sector, not only in terms of meeting anticipating future regulation, but also because of the long term business benefits to be gained from improvements in efficiency and competitiveness.

Walsall College in the West Midlands has been awarded the status of Centre of Excellence for Polymers by the National Skills Academy Process Industries. The college is the first training provider to receive the designation.

Speech at the New Engineering Foundation Awards and Annual Conference 2010, Friday 8 January 2010, Royal Society, London: Delighted to have the opportunity to be here this morning. Thank you to the foundation for inviting me to speak here today.

This is the fifth edition of our newsletter since the official launch of the Skills Academy in January 2008, designed to keep you up to speed with progress.

The Government today announced over £60M investment in the North East to support the region’s industrial transition to low carbon and advanced manufacturing.

Lord Mandleson's Speech at the Chemical Industries Association Dinner November 2009

Chemical and pharmaceutical businesses across the UK are demanding Government action to maintain and enhance business investment.

Hartpury College’s ‘South West Enabling Environmental Technologies’ (SWEET) project is supporting apprentices at risk of redundancy. Through the project we are working with employers in the West of England in order to retain apprentices during this difficult economic climate by offering the following support package:

JUST days after the towering figure of Lord Mandelson - arguably the second most influential man in government - told the UK chemical industry that it was at the heart of government policy, Teesside has taken him at his word.

IChemE has signed a memorandum of understanding with the National Skills Academy for Process Industries (NSAPI) and Cogent, the Sector Skills Council for chemicals, nuclear, oil and gas, petroleum and polymers.

A ‘science and maths whizz’ is giving young people in the process industries a voice after becoming the youngest ever board member of the National Skills Academy Process Industries.

The Academy invites you to submit your short courses for endorsement – this process involves matching your delivery to employer needs, and where available to the requirements of the Cogent Gold Standard, followed by presentation to an employer panel for final approval.

The Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals, Rubber & Plastic Products sector employs 3.75 million persons in the EU.

A skills expert is urging swift government action on the recruitment of apprentices to avoid a shortfall of 24,000 young people.

Chemical industry magazine, ICIS Chemical Business, has launched a campaign to highlight the importance of attracting and retaining the best young talent to the chemical industry.

Consultancy or secondment opportunity: Working Higher, a collaborative project between Cogent Sector Skills Council, Hull University and the Higher Education Academy Physical Science Centre are looking for five individuals to act as Industry Champions to help develop a Foundation Degree Framework with the polymer, chemical, petrochemical and bioscience sectors.

Sector1.net 1 place for online recruitment in your industry

THE strategic alliance between Sector Skills Council to the science-based industries, Cogent SSC, and the National Skills Academy Process Industries launched a new funding stream for higher level skills at Westminster this month, supported by industrialists from the process and nuclear industries.

Although the region’s process industry has been under massive pressure recently, Philip Jones is adamant it is a “temporary blip” rather than a crisis. Deputy Business Editor Deborah Johnson meets the man charged with training the next generation of process sector workers.

COMPANIES from the Tees Valley’s process industry will be given the chance to update and formalise their worker’s qualifications under plans announced by a further education college.

A leading Yorkshire businessman has called on the government to follow Scotland's lead in developing innovative ways to help employers maintain their apprenticeship programmes in the face of the recession.

YORKSHIRE firms need more help to keep their apprentices in employment during the recession. Tens of thousands of new apprentices are expected to be needed to learn the skills of workers due to retire in the next decade.

An imminent skills shortage has spurred U.K. drug makers to form a national academy to aid in the development of manufacturing professionals. Phil Jones, chief executive of the National Skills Academy for the Process Industries, which has been instrumental in establishing the new body, explains that three factors are driving the need for the training to be provided.

There has never been a greater need for our nation to invest in skills, especially for the young. If business fails to prepare for the upturn in the economy with investment in skills and training, we will find ourselves facing a skills gap that will undermine our journey out of recession.

THE CEO of the National Skills Academy Process Industries, Phil Jones, has called on the government to follow Scotland’s lead in developing innovative ways to help employers maintain their apprenticeship programmes in the face of the recession.

Workers have been urged to make sure that they do not fall behind in terms of skills during the recession. Phil Jones, chief executive of the National Skills Academy Process Industries, said in an article for Processing Talk, that training is the "best suit of armour" for those facing redundancy.

THE run of closures at a key site in Teesside’s process cluster has been coming since chemical giant ICI left 20 years ago, a key figure in the sector has said. Philip Jones said the fact Wilton has seen several plants announce their closures is “no great surprise” after the break-up of the ICI cluster saw numerous independent companies move into the site, near Redcar.

London -The government should follow Scotland’s lead in developing innovative ways to help employers maintain their apprenticeship programmes in the face of the recession, Phil Jones, chief executive officer of the National Skills Academy Process Industries (NSAPI), has urged.

THE chief executive of a Widnes-based chemical firm is to take on a national role aimed at tackling crucial skills shortages in the industry. Pentagon Chemicals’ Allan Laing has joined the main board of the National Skills Academy Process Industries.

The UK's pharma sector will soon receive its own body to help employers drive the key skills agenda of the industry. The move follows a workshop organized by Cogent Sector Skills Council and the National Skills Academy Process Industries, which brought together more than 30 of the country's largest industry players.

With the UK pharma sector set to get its own dedicated skills body, Pharmaceutical Technology Europe interviews Phil Jones, chief executive of The National Skills Academy Process Industries, which has been instrumental in establishing the new body.

The pharmaceutical sector is set to get its own body dedicated to identifying and addressing key skills issues. Following a high-level workshop organized by the National Skills Academy Process Industries and Cogent Sector Skills Council, the new skills body will allow pharmaceutical employers to drive the skills agenda of the sector.

Phil Jones, head of the National Skills Academy Process Industries, has called on the government to follow Scotland by helping employers maintain apprenticeship programmes during the recession.

Plastics and rubber businesses in the West Midlands can now have their say in creating a new skills platform for the industry, thanks to a unique partnership between RAPRA and the National Skills Academy Process Industries.

The body set up to help process industries employers to plug crucial skills gaps has appointed its own young apprentice. Darlington College student Katie Haldane has been selected to join National Skills Academy Process Industries, which now represents 20% of the UK’s chemicals, polymers and pharmaceutical sectors workforce.

This is the fourth edition of our newsletter since the official launch of the Skills Academy in January 2008, designed to keep you up to speed with progress.

The UK pharmaceutical sector is set to get its own body dedicated to identifying and addressing key skills issues. A high level workshop, organised by Cogent Sector Skills Council and the National Skills Academy Process Industries, the new skills body, will allow pharmaceutical employers to take a lead on the skills agenda for the sector.

YORKSHIRE packaging firm Linpac Packaging has been praised for its staff development policies at the Wakefield First Business Awards. Linpac, based in Knottingley, won the People Make Performance award and received a nomination for the Innovation Award.

On the day Artenius announced that it had been put on the market as its Spanish parent concentrated on keeping its mainland European operations afloat, SUE SCOTT considers if Wilton is mortally wounded by recent failures or if the “sons of ICI” can learn lessons from the past.

Phil Jones, chief executive of the National Skills Academy Process Industries, has explained the urgency for individuals and ompanies to keep skills up-to-date to survive the recession.

THE pharmaceutical sector is set to get its own body dedicated to identifying and addressing key skills issues. Following a high level workshop, organised by Cogent Sector Skills Council and the National Skills Academy Process Industries (NSAPI), the new skills body will allow pharmaceutical employers to drive the skills agenda of the sector.

A public consultation on GCSE science criteria by the QCA (Qualifications and Curriculum Authority) to gain views on proposed changes to the content and assessment of science GCSEs began on Friday 19th June.

THE announced closure of the Dow chemical plant, followed just hours later by that of Croda, one of its chief customers, is the first sign of a change in the process sector that could turn into a giant leap forward - or back - for Teesside.

With annual sales of almost £30 billion, 16,000 employees and 70 sites worldwide, INEOS is one of the world's largest chemical companies. The integrated petrochemicals business has grown rapidly in recent years, particularly through acquisitions from ICI and, more recently, BP.

The UOT has bursaries availble of £8000 for apprentices (related to the prcess industry), who have been made redundant recently or who have been served notice of redunandcy.

Employers in the chemical industry must act now to ensure the next generation of scientists has the necessary skills, according to industry leaders.

SCOTLAND is to get its own national skills academy for the chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Scottish training organisations in the industry will be able to apply for accreditation from the National Skills Academy (NSA) for the first time. The NSA for the ’process industries’ which also includes polymer companies as well as any oil and gas firms that do not work offshore is in talks with Scottish Enterprise in an attempt to secure funding for the scheme.

The winners of the prestigious 2009 Chemical Industry Awards were announced on 25 June at Murrayfield Rugby Stadium in Edinburgh. The awards are the premier accolades for the UK chemical industry.

Provision is our newsletter for training providers, a quarterly e-newsletter which we will be circulating to all providers providing an update on the activities taking place within the network, the work we are doing as an Academy to support our providers and information on key events for our Providers to attend.

The National Skills Academy Process Industries is appealing for industry figures to come forward and join its national board, as it builds momentum in helping employers to address crucial skills issues and boost competitiveness. We were created by employers for employers, so it is vital to the success of our work that we are led by employers, said chief executive Phil Jones.

A group of Teesside photography students are seeing their work showcased at the new headquarters of the National Skills Academy Process Industries (NSAPI) in Darlington. The students, who are studying for their BTEC National Diploma in Photography at Cleveland College of Art and Design, toured facilities and locations across Teesside to capture images representative of the industry.

For the first time, the South East is covered by the National Skills Academy Process Industries which aims to help employers fill gaps in skills and training. National Skills Academies were set up by the Government to help employers in key sectors with their skills training and make sure provision is made to meet skills needs. Each skills academy is a specialist in its particular sector: the process industries academy covers the chemicals, pharmaceuticals and polymers sectors.

The National Skills Academy Process Industries is appealing for industry figures to come forward and join its National Board, as it builds momentum in helping employers to address crucial skills issues and boost competitiveness. The skills academy is particularly interested in applications from people in the Bio-technology field, and from those in the formative years of their process industries careers.

Lord Mandelson, Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, has today used the launch Science Museum's 100th birthday celebrations to argue that the creation of a new department for Business, Innovation and Skills will put science at the centre of the Government's economic recovery plans for a prosperous, sustainable future.

I've always felt that Darlington had an awful lot going for it. From a business point of view, it's ideal: close to the motorway, the A66, the East coast main line railway, and an airport. That's the rationale behind the National Skills Academy Process Industries choosing to be based at Morton Palms Business Park on the edge of Darlington.

Industrialists and training providers from across the Process Industries turned out in force to York Racecourse on 30th April, to hear how they can work together to address the crucial skills issues facing their industries.

A NEW education package aimed at the region’s process industries could help deliver a ten-fold improvement, on average, in productivity and competitiveness for employers. The BITPAC (Business Improvement Techniques Productivity and Competitiveness) programme has been developed by the Manufacturing Skills Alliance and is being spearheaded throughout the North West by the National Skills Academy Process Industries.

We are looking to attract committed, dynamic individuals from a broad representation of process industries, in particular those with experience in the Bio-technology fields. A diverse, inclusive and experienced Board will allow us to tap in to a wide range of talent and viewpoints, and better serve our membership base. It will also help us to grow our partnerships with training providers who can develop new solutions for employers.

Paul Jukes, who succeeded Wavin UK’s managing director Calum Forsyth as the new BPF president yesterday, is pledging to maintain the impetus of the Recession Action Group as well as the Plastics Challenge 2020 campaign to be launched formally in July.

The regions 10bn chemical industry celebrated its success last night with the first ever Chemicals Northwest awards. Chemicals Northwest organised the awards dinner at the Hilton Manchester to highlight why the region is still the largest chemical producing area in the country.

The vice-president of operational excellence for global manufacturing and supply at Glaxosmithkline (GSK) is urging support for the process skills academy, according to Process Engineering Online. Everyone working in the process industries should become an individual member of the National Skills Academy Process Industries (NSAPI), according to Derek Willison-Parry.

YORKSHIRE firms have been urged to face up to the skills crisis facing the regions process industry. Chris Horton, vice-president of West Yorkshire plastics maker LINPAC told industry leaders that the sector faced a demographic timebomb with 40% of its workforce aged 45 and over.

York, UK - The UK's apprenticeships drive will be severely undermined if the Government does not act to safeguard current apprentices from the impact of recession, process skills leaders were warned at the National Skills Academy Process Industries¹ first national skills conference, held 30 April in York.

This briefing paper is designed to inform stakeholders about the current success of Train to Gain and 25+ Apprenticeships and the work the LSC is undertaking with colleges and training providers to ensure we build upon this success, making full use of the funding we have available to continue to support learners and employers.

A range of new financial support packages are being offered to students and employers by Teesside University, providing an opportunity not only to study for a postgraduate qualification free of charge, but also a £7000 contribution to cover living expenses or to offset employer’s salary costs, in a package worth more than £11,000 per student.

SOME of Britain's biggest employers are on the brink of a crisis caused by the ageing workforce, a major conference heard. The conference at York Racecourse heard that process industries – which include pharmaceuticals, chemicals and polymers – face a "demographic time bomb", with 40 per cent of Britain's workforce aged 45 and over.

THE Darlington-based National Academy for the Process Industries (NSAPI), which was won for the North East against tough opposition last year, has hit all its targets to become the highest performing skills academy in the country.

The vital contribution apprentices make to the economy is being marked today by the launch of the new National Apprenticeship Service (NAS).

ONE of the UK’s most senior industrialists is urging forward-thinking employers to attend a process industries skills summit to discuss ways they can avert the impending skills crisis.

A CHEMICAL industry development group says the sector needs to invest in training now so it is in strong shape when the recession ends. The North West ChemSkills Group says that, unless companies invest in training now, they could face skills shortages when trade picks up in the future.

The Northwest is set to become an international hub for materials chemistry research following the launch today of a new £30 million ‘virtual’ Knowledge Centre for Materials Chemistry (KCMC).

SURGING COMPETITION from the Middle East, an inadequate skills base and the risk of future energy price instability are endangering Scotland's £2 billion ethylene sector, a leading figure in Britain's chemicals industry has warned.

The head office of the National Skills Academy Process Industries is on the move to new premises after outgrowing its incubator space at the University of Teesside.

This is the third edition of our newsletter since the official launch of the Skills Academy in January 2008, designed to keep you up to speed with progress.

The head of the National Skills Academy Process Industries is calling for more employers to invest in students in recognition of Apprentice Week.

The Real Help for Businesses Now guide brings together support from across Government in one easy-to-access place on the Business Link website.

The head of the National Skills Academy Process Industries has welcomed the Government’s pledge to get a fifth of young people on an apprenticeship within the next decade.

The UK’s first training provider network set up specifically for the process industries has been launched across Yorkshire and the Humber at a workshop held at the CATCH (Centre for Assessment of Technical Competence Humber) facility.

A group of industries that employ more than 48,000 people in the South East is set for a boost following the National Skills Academy Process Industries’ decision to set up a new base in the region.

In a new video safety message released today on YouTube, CSB Chairman John Bresland urged companies to ensure they have effective winterisation programs to prevent major chemical and refinery process accidents that could result in deaths or substantial property damage.

The UK’s first training provider network set up specifically for the process industries has been launched across the East and West Midlands, with more than 40 organisations attending the first event to find out more about how membership will benefit their business.

The UK’s first training provider network set up specifically for the process industries has been launched through a series of regional roadshows.

This is the second edition of our newsletter since the official launch of the Skills Academy in January 2008, designed to keep you up to speed with progress.

The UK's most senior businessmen and union leaders have taken the unprecedented step of calling on UK employers not to slash staff training in a bid to cut costs as the economic downturn bites.

A new £50m three-year agreement between Government and the Cogent Science-based industries, to help beat skills shortages and build a world-class workforce has been announced by Skills Minister the Rt Hon John Denham MP.

Students at the University of Teesside are set for a huge skills boost with the handover of around £250,000 worth of training equipment from the National Skills Academy Process Industries. The kit will be used to support and develop the University's engineering provision and help meet the current and future skills challenges throughout the process industries.

This is the first edition of our newsletter since the official launch of the Skills Academy in January 2008, designed to keep you up to speed with progress.