NEWSLETTER HIGHLIGHTS BRINGING METROLOGY INTO POST 16 EDUCATION KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS EXCHANGE IN A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING LANDSCAPE UKAS PEER EVALUATION IS THERE A LOOMING CRISIS FOR UK CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT POST BREXIT? SUMMER 2021CONTENTS Page 2 – EDITOR’S NOTE Page 3 – MEET OUR NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS Page 4 – NEWS Page 10 – NEW CHOICES FOR LEARNERS AFTER GCSEs by Nikesh Mistry, Sector Head, Industrial Automation, at GAMBICA Page 10 – BRINGING METROLOGY INTO POST 16 EDUCATION by Joe Neame, Science Specialist for NCFE Page 12 – KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS EXCHANGE IN A RAPIDLY DEVELOPING LANDSCAPE by Vicki Barwick, Head of Commercial, Training at LGC Page 15 – PEER EVALUATION – HOW DOES THE NATIONAL ACCREDITATION BODY DEMONSTRATE ITS COMPETENCE AND CONFORMITY? by Paul Greenwood, Operations Director at UKAS Page 16 – THE NON-TRADITIONAL ROUTE INTO METROLOGY by Make UK Page 17 – FROM APPRENTICE TO SCIENTIST by Alison Rooker, NPL Apprenticeship Lead – Training Page 18 – A LOOMING CRISIS FOR UK CONFORMITY ASSESSMENT POST BREXIT by Jeff Llewellyn. President BMTA Page 20 – DEMONSTRATING AGILITY DURING LOCKDOWN By Paul Greenwood, Operations Director at UKAS Page 22 – MEASUREMENT AND TESTING IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR By Tenders Direct Page 24 – MEMBER PROFILE ACOUSTICAL INVESTIGATION AND RESEARCH ORGANISATION (AIRO) Page 26 – COUNCIL MEMBER PROFILE JEFF LLEWELLYN, PRESIDENT, BMTA Welcome to the Summer issue of the BMTA Newsletter This Summer we cover the theme: Education in the Industry. We look at the T Level; the new L3 post-16 qualifications that follow on from GCSEs. We have articles from GAMBICA and NCFE, while LGC and Make UK discuss training and upskilling technical skills in the workplace. NPL tells us about their Apprenticeship Scheme which offers Level 3 apprenticeships across a variety of disciplines. T Levels offer students a specialist route into metrology for the first time and, with the government offering employers a financial incentive to take student placements, it could not be a better time for BMTA members to start looking to recruit their next generation of technician. When lockdown was announced by the UK Government, many businesses rushed to implement changes in order to continue work with minimum possible disruption. Paul Greenwood, UKAS Operations Director tells us how UKAS reviewed its procedures. Paul also describes how UKAS demonstrates its own conformity and competence in his article on peer evaluation. Will the UK Conformity Assessment infrastructure be able to cope with demand from manufacturers and importers? Jeff Llewellyn, President of BMTA considers if there is a crisis looming; in the new year all products covered by the UK Regulations must be labelled with the UK Conformity Assessment (UKCA) mark. We ask all CABs, or those considering applying to be CABs, to get in contact with us as we continue to discuss the present situation with BEIS. We also have an article from Tenders Direct, a BMTA Partner that offers members a discount on their service. The public sector offers many business opportunities for the measurement and testing industry. We feature a step by step tender writing process. And last, but definitely not least, our member company profile features long standing BMTA member, AIRO - Acoustical Investigation and Research Organisation. We also get to know our President, Jeff Llewellyn, a little better through our interview with him in our Council Member feature. Looking forward to our Autumn issue, our focus theme is based on: • Industrial Revolution 4.0 / 5.0 To help us provide our BMTA members with useful information we would like your help to: > identify and share relevant topics > provide research on new technologies or techniques > let us know industry news > promote events and training sessions > inform us of publications you think may be of interest to your fellow BMTA members. If you would like to contribute to the next issue of the BMTA Newsletter please contact editor@bmta.co.uk with a brief synopsis. EDITOR’S NOTE bmta.co.uk 2MEET OUR NEWSLETTER CONTRIBUTORS bmta.co.uk Nikesh Mistry Sector Head – Industrial Automation GAMBICA Alison Rooker, NPL Apprenticeship Lead – Training Dr Jeff Llewellyn President BMTA Paul Greenwood Operations Director UKAS Joe Neame Science Specialist NCFE Vicki Barwick Head of Commercial Training, LGC Nikesh has an honours degree in Electronic Engineering from The University of Birmingham. He has developed an extensive understanding of both technical and commercial areas of the manufacturing and automation industry. His previous roles have been as Technical Sales Engineer for Keyence UK and account manager for OEM, Alphr. His ability to build sustained client relationships has been refined in different industries including automotive, food and pharmaceutical, raw materials, chemical testing, defence and aerospace and even financial services. . As part of the NPL Training team, Alison manages the Metrology Apprenticeship Programme, delivering high quality programmes for learners and working with employers to understand their requirements for their apprentices. Alison ensures NPL delivers quality teaching in line with Ofsted guidance and is compliant with the funding rules set by the ESFA. A Chemist by profession, graduating from Swansea, Jeff obtained his PhD in Carbohydrate Chemistry in 1972. After two years post-doctoral research, he joined the Laboratory of the Government Chemist (now LGC) in 1973 where he worked for 10 years in food and environmental analysis. Jeff moved to the Department of the Environment with responsibility for Indoor Air Quality and Asbestos in Buildings, later joining the Building Research Establishment (now BRE Ltd) where he managed the Organic Materials Division and later the Centre for Environment and Health. He became Chief Executive of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML - now the National Measurement Office, NMO) in 2002, then an Executive Agency of DTI. He remained there until he retired from the Civil Service in August 2007. Paul Greenwood (CChem MRSC) joined UKAS in 2006 after a 13 year post-graduate career as a chemist in the fields of drinking water analysis, environmental testing and analytical instrument manufacture. In addition to oversight of the accreditation of around 1500 laboratories, he is a member of the UKAS Executive and responsible for ensuring strategic development and delivery of accreditation nationally and internationally. Joe graduated Newcastle University in 2016 with a degree in Biochemistry BSc. During this time, he studied life at the molecular level, explored chemical processes within cells and became proficient in industry-standard analytical techniques. Joe then spent five years teaching, covering all three sciences up to GCSE and Biology to A Level. Joe is passionate about ensuring a fair education for all which led him to apply to become a science specialist for NCFE, to promote and advance learning, helping every learner to achieve their full potential. Vicki joined LGC in 1990 as an analytical chemist after completing a BSc in Chemistry at the University of Nottingham. She then worked on a number of projects funded by the UK government’s Valid Analytical Measurement (VAM) programme, focusing on the development of approaches to evaluating measurement uncertainty in chemical analysis. Vicki has over 20 years’ experience in the development and delivery of training courses in the area of analytical quality assurance. She is the Chair of the Eurachem network and a member of the Eurachem Working Groups on Education and Training and Method Validation. 34 UKAS PEER EVALUATION - SUCCESSFUL OUTCOME Following an intense week of peer evaluation by a team of 13 EA colleagues, UKAS is delighted to receive a positive recommendation to renew their EA MLA status. UKAS did receive a number of nonconformities, but none are of a significant nature or appear to identify any systematic risks within their system. They have, together with a number of comments, raised the opportunity for improvements. The Summary Reported stated: The evaluation team was impressed with the expertise of staff and the data management system quality and capabilities; UKAS’ staff knowledge of and adherence to procedures and reference documents; assessor monitoring records; strategic vision and drive; strength of the decision-making process; and a good and complete coverage of the accreditation scopes was also appreciated. Top management is actively involved in operations and can rely on consistent data provided by the operations to take informed decisions with an excellent and open sharing of knowledge, supported by a comprehensive management system. BMTA MEMBERSHIP Your membership helps promote the collective interests of the UK calibration, measurement and test industry and supports the work of member companies through knowledge sharing and networking activities. Your membership certificate for 2021 will be sent to you shortly. To ensure we place the correct and most up-to-date details on your certificate, we kindly ask you to confirm/update your membership details by visiting our COMPANY MEMBER DETAILS page. You can also advise us via this link if you would like certificates issued for additional company sites. We also ask that you add the BMTA logo to your website, email signatures and marketing literature. To help with this we have prepared a MARKETING RESOURCES page on our website where logo files can be downloaded. Please feel free to distribute this information to your Marketing and/or IT departments should you need their support in rolling this out across your organisation. As always, we encourage all our members to contact us with their company news and bring to our attention any matters you believe your trade association should be aware of or might assist with. £1,000 GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO SUPPORT STUDENT PLACEMENT Employers will be able to claim £1000 for every T Level student they host on industry placement, as part of a new incentive scheme. The T Level employer incentive fund, launched in recognition of the impact the pandemic has had on many businesses, is designed to help cover financial constraints employers may face as a barrier to hosting placements in the short term. Employers will be able to claim £1000 for each T Level student they host on a 45 day (315 hour) industry placement and offers businesses an excellent opportunity to tap into the emerging talent pipeline, while supporting the skilled workforce of the future. Combining classroom study with industry placements, it is anticipated that T Levels will generate the skilled workforce that businesses need for the future. Students undertaking a T Level course will gain the skills and experience they need to progress into work, further study or an apprenticeship. Employers will be able to claim for up to 20 students, starting their T Level placements from now until July 2022. Also announced by the Department for Education, a procurement exercise, of up to £350,000, for an Employer Support Package, will take place in the summer, for an organisation to offer employers T Level support. Such support will include delivering webinars and support sessions across England. NEWS bmta.co.uk METROLOGY T LEVELS - INDUSTRY PLACEMENT The introduction of the Metrology T Level offers companies a new opportunity to recruit and retain technical to the sector. An integral part of this qualification is the requirement to undertake industry placement. Placements are intended to provide students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and behaviours required for skilled employment. This also enables placement providers the opportunity to identify and engage with potential employees in a meaningful and measurable manner. As part of achieving the overall T Level programme, students are required to complete a minimum of 315 hours of industry placement. NCFE has produced a guidance document to support placement providers in their preparation and planning for T Level industry placements.5 It is with sadness that we announce the death of Dr Patrick Finlay on 2 June 2021. Patrick was an entrepreneur with a PhD in automation. He founded Europe’s first medical robotics company in 1991. He was a pioneer in surgical robotics and an active member of IMechE’s medical engineering division for over 15 years. He was elected IMechE Chair in 2013 and led an initiative to broaden the division’s scope and raise the profile of healthcare within IMechE. His efforts led to the formation of IMechE’s Biomedical Engineering Association, the largest grouping of professional biomedical engineers in the UK. In addition to his role with the Biomedical Engineering Association, Patrick founded MediMaton, a private UK company formed in 2005 to promote the development of medical robotics. MediMaton arose as a result of work done by Patrick in the 1980s and ‘90s as Project Manager of the Medical Robotics initiative of the International Advanced Robotics Programme. In 2016 Patrick was appointed as CEO of the Institute of Measurement and Control. Greg Ward, Secretary-General of BMTA said, “I had the pleasure of working with Patrick for a short time before he left his role as Chief Executive of the InstMC. He was an educated, talented and interesting man with a long list of accomplishments, many of which he was too modest to discuss”. He is survived by his wife, Sue, and his three sons. The BMTA Council extend their condolences to Dr Patrick Finlay’s family. Canada and Mexico The UK is to begin negotiations for upgraded trade deals with Canada and Mexico this year focused on creating greater opportunities for UK businesses in industries such as digital, data and services. A call for input is asking for views from the public, businesses and other stakeholders on what the UK’s ambitions should be for these free trade agreements. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss said: “Now we have left the EU we are free to sign the next generation of British-shaped trade deals with free-trading nations, securing our economic ties with economies of the future. “This next generation of deals will be trail-blazing, securing more access for British goods and services, which will support jobs and prosperity across the UK in industries that will shape the future of the global economy. They will also serve as a key building block to CPTPP, as the UK pivots towards the Asia-Pacific.” Lord Karan Bilimoria, CBI President, said: “As the UK seeks to strengthen its trade and investment links with Mexico and Canada, input from business will be crucial to ensure these deals serve as a vehicle for economic growth. Creating high- value jobs in key growth industries from fintech to e-commerce will help all our countries build forward.” India The UK’s Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have agreed a ‘2030 Roadmap’ to provide a framework for UK-India relations across health, climate, trade, education, science and technology and defence. This Roadmap confirms the UK’s intent to negotiate a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with a view to doubling UK-India trade over the next decade. A 14-week public consultation, running until the end of August, has been launched by the Department for International Trade. This public consultation provides stakeholders with the opportunity to express their views about a UK-India free trade agreement, to help shape Government policy positions and ensure that a future trade deal benefits citizens and business in every region of the UK. The UK-India online questionnaire is now live on Gov.UK: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/trade-with- india-call-for-input The UK-Canada-Mexico call for input runs between 18 May and 12 July and is available on gov.uk at: https://www.gov.uk/ government/consultations/trade-with-canada-and-mexico- call-for-input. NEWS bmta.co.uk DR PATRICK FINLAY – OBITUARY HAVE YOUR SAY ON TRADE DEAL NEGOTIATIONS 6 INSTMC ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME 2022 The InstMC have launched an industry-focused scholarship program to pair exceptional engineering students with Metrology and Engineering companies. The InstMC will manage the process, shortlisting the best candidates and ensuring that each applicant matches any company-specific requirements. This will significantly reduce the burden of cost and administration for companies participating in the scheme. The annual placement will run for eight weeks commencing Summer 2022 and applications will only be accepted from undergraduates studying for an accredited MEng or BEng degree at one of the InstMC partner universities. Applications open in October 2021. For further details of the scheme, view the InstMC Scholarship Scheme flyer. Full details and guidelines are available in the Terms & Conditions for Sponsor Companies. • A management fee of £895 is paid to InstMC for the first year of the scholarship, and £240 per annum for each subsequent year. • A bursary fee for one scholarship is £1000 per annum for each year of the scholarship. • Salary for one scholar – minimum of £345 per week for the duration of the eight-week placement for each year of scholarship. If your company is interested in participating in the scheme, please email Steff Smith at steff.smith@instmc.org. NEWS bmta.co.uk INSTMC ENGINEERING SCHOLARSHIP SCHEME 2022 FOR SPONSOR COMPANIES • We seek candidates with the right technical and interpersonal skills for your company so that they thrive throughout the 8-week placement, allowing you to grow the relationship and hopefully find suitable future employees. • We will only select students who display enthusiasm for, and commitment to, the placement. FEEDBACK YOUR VIEWS ON REMOTE ASSESSMENT The ILAC, IAF and ISO are running a joint survey. The aim is to better understand the views of the conformity assessment community and those that rely on the results of conformity assessment, such as regulators, on the use of remote techniques for audit/assessment/evaluation activities. The survey seeks to gain input from the perspective of those carrying out the auditing/assessing or evaluation activities, as well as those subject to the activity and those reliant on the outcome of these activities. This survey provides an opportunity for members to feedback on their experiences of remote assessments, whether they be on the receiving end or providing such a service to their customers. The survey will run until 8 August 2021 and can be accessed via the following link: https://survey.alchemer.eu/s3/90343186/IAF- ILAC-ISO-Survey-on-Remote-Audit-Assessment-Evaluation HEAVILY DISCOUNTED HR AND EMPLOYMENT LAW SUPPORT Your BMTA membership can now give you access to your own team of employment law solicitors, barristers and HR professionals at a fraction of the price for non-members. Delivered through our exclusive partnership with Make UK Legal Services, this service will help you and your organisation to keep informed, compliant and on top of your HR and employment law risks. Your HR function needs to go beyond compliance. Consultants and trainers accessed through this service can support your broader people strategy and training needs. Training programmes including those on employment law and worker status, managing health and wellbeing, performance management and data protection can also be provided through one of the flexible training programmes. This is a heavily discounted option for BMTA members. A full year’s worth of access to specialised employment lawyers and HR professionals is available for what could be half the price of an hour of solictor’s time! Please email enquiries@bmta.co.uk for more details.7 The 20th International Metrology Congress will be held 7-9 September in Lyon (France), in partnership with the Measurement World exhibition. The Congress coincides with the same dates and location as Global Industrie exhibition. The Congress is dedicated to the best industrial practices and advances in R&D applied to measurements, analysis and testing processes. This unique event is the meeting between science, industry and institutional organisations of metrology. What’s new? Industry 4.0, the Green Deal and Health are the three main themes for 2021. CIM2021 will be a hybrid event, with videos and live presentations available on a dedicated platform. The Metrology Village is located in the heart of Measurement World and for the first time will be associated with the Global Industrie, linked through Industry 4.0. The programme The International Metrology Congress will include 200 technical presentations and six Round Tables. This is the opportunity to discover recent advances in various technical fields, such as mechanics, electromagnetism, flow, temperature, photonics, chemistry, biology in addition to data, AI, statistics, quantum technologies, and their implications in key applications. We will also look at the measurement process of quality, accreditation, conformity and risks and cost optimisation. The topics developed during the Round Table session include: • Metrology in the digital age • The role of metrology and quality infrastructures in the transition to Industry 4.0 • Shopfloor measurement challenges • Trust in health measurement: new challenges • Industry emissions: metrology support to achieve the new requirements • New skills for the future of metrology More details can be found at: https://www.cim2021.com/ programme-congress-international-metrology.html NEWS bmta.co.uk TRUST YOUR MEASUREMENTS – CIM2021 PROGRAMME IS LAUNCHED MMN EVENTS NPL’s Manufacturer Measurement Network (MMN) are running two online events in the next few months. Digitalisation – Machine Learning Event on 27th July https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mmn-digitalisation-machine-learning-tickets-137607193821 This event will feature an overview of machine learning techniques for engineers and how they can be used by manufacturers. An opportunity will also be outlined for MMN members to get involved in a series of projects NPL are developing as an introduction to ML for those with little or no prior experience. There will also be a practical example of how machine learning has been used to identify tool wear in a simple turning operation. Coatings Event on 10th August https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mmn-coatings-event-tickets-163157966871 More information on this event is to come.8 NEWS bmta.co.uk SMARTER RECRUITMENT A Solution for Entry-Level Jobs Industry placements are an ideal solution for entry-level skills. They can help you build a pipeline of talent for junior positions or apprenticeships. Cost-effective Channel for Recruitment You can avoid many of the costs associated with recruitment by working with local colleges and schools to connect with young people who are deciding on their careers. Develop Young People into your Industry Placements give you a chance to work alongside the next generation of workers entering your industry, making sure they develop the knowledge, attitude and practical skills to succeed. SUPPORT FOR YOUR STAFF Better Management and Mentoring Skills Placements create opportunities for staff to act as buddies, coaches or line managers to students. This helps existing staff gain management and mentorship skills, both of which are known to increase job satisfaction. A Fresh Perspective For smaller employers, young people can be an invaluable source of new and interesting ideas that can change the way you think about doing business. Extra Help with Projects In an environment where staff are fulfilling multiple roles and struggling to meet difficult deadlines, an industry placement student could help support a key piece of work. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL COMMUNITY Improved Diversity Industry placements create opportunities for a diverse range of 16 to 19-year-olds. Diversity helps your organisation understand customers better, creates better performing teams and increases innovation and creativity. Create Shared Value in your Community Traditionally, organisations have supported social causes by making charitable donations. Industry placements are different in that they help create ‘shared value’. They’re a way of giving back that benefits the young people in your community as well as your business. Enhanced Brand Image and Profile A commitment to industry placements raises your organisation’s profile, locally and nationally, especially as T Levels gain more public exposure with your customers and clients. BUSINESS BENEFITS OF INDUSTRY PLACEMENTS Industry placements provide the employer with early sight of new talent coming into the industry. They can help with recruitment, improve innovation, and increase an organisation’s productivity. They also have important social benefits.9 BREXIT – SIX MONTHS ON Following the signing of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) between the UK and the EU in 2020, manufacturers saw the greatest single change in how they trade and do business in the EU in more than four decades. Even businesses that had prepared for change still experienced significant disruption. The pressure is now easing for some, but many companies, particularly SMEs, are still experiencing challenges. Make UK has published a new report – Trade and Cooperation with the EU: Six months on, which can be found here: Trade and cooperation with the EU: Six Months on | Make UK. The report explores the experiences of manufacturers in the first six months of this year and since the Trade and Cooperation Agreement was agreed at the end of last year. The new trading environment has ramped up cost, caused import and export delays, and is hampering smooth trade as companies struggle to recover from the COVID pandemic. Key findings include: • 96% of companies have faced challenges since the start of the year with the new trading environment. • Nearly half (47%) had difficulty with customs processes initially. This has eased as companies’ understanding of the new rules improved. • But over a third (36%) - mainly small and medium-sized companies - are still struggling with the new customs procedures and paperwork. • More than a quarter (29%) say demonstrating the origin of their products is a challenge. • Business travel remains almost completely untested as international travel beings to reopen for business bringing with it a critical risk for companies who still do not understand the business travel rules for the different EU member states. • 86% of manufacturers want Government to work with the EU to ease the difficulties around export processes and customs formalities. • Regulation key to manufacturers is now solely in the control of UK legislators. The UK Government must decide how this sovereignty is used to benefit manufacturers in the UK; the majority of manufacturers favour cooperation with the EU. NEWS bmta.co.uk T Levels are the newest qualifications available to students as part of their post-16 options, being positioned alongside A Levels and Apprenticeships. The specialism in Metrology Science is new to post-16 curriculum and is designed to support students looking to train as a Metrology Technician, working on areas such as measurement research, calibration, testing and inspecting, and process support. The new course has a strong focus on technical skills and core English, maths and digital skills, with a substantial industry placement of 45 days. One of the key advantages of the qualifications is the involvement of employers in both shaping the curriculum and supporting students with valuable work placements. Farnborough College of Technology is inviting employers to take part in T Levels by offering industry work placements. Thanks to the placement length, this is an excellent opportunity for organisations to play a role in resolving the UK’s skills gap, trial students before considering them for employment, and develop aspiring managers through the coaching of a student. Email placements@farn-ct.ac.uk to register your interest. FARNBOROUGH COLLEGE OF TECHNOLOGY LAUNCHES METROLOGY QUALIFICATION As part of a new wave of ‘T Level’ qualifications, Farnborough College of Technology is launching a Metrology specialism within its latest Science pathway.Next >