Okay,
here goes! So our first talk was from Craig Whittet (Head of Product Design
Engineering at GSA) and I found I agreed with most of what he had to say but
there were a few things that surprised me.
When
we think of manufacturing – we see large metal machines whirring away, stamping
out obscure looking pieces, ready to be assembled. But is this the reality?
Many people are involved in the manufacturing process of our everyday products,
from those who operate these machines, to hand finishing and polishing parts
that we may never even see.
So
what is it like to work in these conditions? Due to the nature of the work,
workspaces tend to be noisy, dirty, warm environments. In the UK we seem to
think our working conditions are superior to those in other countries. This may
be the case but it seems as though, in this sector, safety and protocols are
placed well above comfort. The article informs of liberties being taken with
sick days; this is more likely to occur in poorer working conditions. In
addition, females accounted for a meagre 4.3% of Engineering and Manufacturing
apprenticeships in 2010/2011.
It
seems to me that this working environment requires some attention. This
industry does not seem automatically appealing and this, in conjunction with relatively
low pay makes it a rather unattractive prospect. A skilled operator’s average
salary is £23,834 and this often starts
significantly lower, especially for apprentices. I had no idea there was a lower
minimum wage for those in apprenticeships, and honestly – I don’t feel it
represents the level of skill at all! Is
it any wonder then that people are not attracted to this type of work and
valuable skilled workers go elsewhere? So - would you rather to spend your
working life here or in a cosy office?
Links
– (in case you are skeptical)
I also drew this little guy shortly afterwards.... I'm sure my tutors would be so proud of my artistic abilities....
No comments:
Post a Comment