Sharing in Growth - an ambitious programme that will raise the capability of UK aerospace suppliers to share in the growth of this global market - has been launched.

The programme provides concentrated training and development aimed at tackling barriers to growth, boosting exports and growing the number of high-value jobs in the UK’s aerospace and associated high-value manufacturing sectors.

The aerospace industry is expected to double in size over the next 10 years and is an investment priority for the UK Government to secure high-value jobs. The forecast is for 27,000 new passenger aircraft and 40,000 commercial helicopters by 2030.

To capitalise on this growth opportunity, suppliers need to constantly invest in their ability to deliver competitive performance. Sharing in Growth UK Ltd has been set up to deliver a £110 million programme over five years of intensive development activity to 30 to 40 UK suppliers. The main funding has come from a successful Regional Growth Fund application.

The company has attracted a board of respected directors representing UK high-value manufacturing, supported by leaders and experts from Rolls-Royce. Partners in Sharing in Growth include IfM Education and Consultancy Services, Unipart Expert Practices, Industry Forum, Alexander Mann Solutions, Global Integration and Inspire – and more will be added.

Bryan Jackson, Chairman of Sharing in Growth UK Ltd, said: “Sharing in Growth is a bold and innovative programme that will provide unprecedented support to high value manufacturing companies that have the ambition and opportunity to accelerate their growth.

“With substantial support from the Regional Growth Fund combined with Rolls-Royce’s knowledge and sponsorship, we have created a meaningful programme designed by industry for industry for which I welcome applications from interested companies.”

Companies are invited to express their interest in the programme and this will be used to assess their eligibility. Sharing in Growth UK Ltd will:

• select the beneficiaries
• arrange the improvement programmes
• organise the delivery partners
• promote growth in the UK aero and associated high value manufacturing sectors

Following an appraisal of applications, between 30 and 40 companies will be chosen to take part in the four-year Sharing in Growth programme starting with a detailed diagnostic to provide substantive information to support the full application for support from the Regional Growth Fund.

Each selected company will embark on a four-year programme, which will involve three successive phases for successful applicants:

• Engage (10-12 weeks) – a diagnostic assessment of all key aspects of the business, identifying where help can be targeted, and the creation of a supplier development charter of appropriate training.
• Develop (typically 2 years) – leadership training for the management team, business improvement training for staff, and tailored high-intensity development training covering areas such as lean production, modern manufacturing and cost management.
• Sustain (typically 2-3 years) – ongoing support based on the issues identified in the previous stages, ensuring the improvements are sustained.

Expressions of interest must be submitted to info@sig-uk.org

Additional information can be found on the Sharing in Growth website.