Latest news with #skills
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
UK manufacturing poised for funding boost to reduce energy costs
UK manufacturing is expected to receive support to ease energy costs and boost skills, the Guardian understands, as part of a long-awaited industrial strategy due to be unveiled next week. Energy-intensive industries have long complained that they pay too much for electricity compared with competitors in the EU, while the wider industrial sector has struggled to recruit skilled staff. As Nigel Farage's Reform party targets support in Britain's industrial heartlands, ministers are poised to pour funds into boosting the manufacturing workforce with proposals similar to a £600m package for the construction sector announced earlier this year, which underpins plans to build 1.5m homes. Ministers have drawn up plans to take aim at energy costs through two policies, one targeted at businesses that use the most electricity – such as steel and aluminium – and another designed to support manufacturing more broadly. Related: Trump threatens to keep 25% tariff on UK steel imports over Port Talbot concerns These are expected to be at the heart of the strategy, which could be announced as soon as Monday. First, the government will increase from 60% to 90% the 'network compensation charging' (NCC) scheme, a discount for energy-intensive businesses on the fees they pay to connect to the Grid. The discount, which is ultimately paid for by other electricity bill-payers including households, is available under the British Industry Supercharger initiative brought in by the previous government. Industry sources said increasing the discount would reduce costs for struggling steelmakers by about £6.50 per megawatt hour (MWh). This is expected to help big companies such as Tata and British Steel, which is under government control, manage the costly transition from blast furnaces to greener electric arc furnaces. However, industry sources said that, while the policy was welcome, the overall saving for the sector is only expected to be worth about £15m a year. Energy costs are likely to remain significantly higher than in Germany and France, chiefly because UK electricity prices are linked to the cost of wholesale gas, which is a larger part of the British energy mix than on the continent. Speaking at the Paris airshow this week, the business and energy minister, Sarah Jones, said: 'Whether you're a company wanting to invest in the UK or whether you're an existing company in the UK, energy prices is a challenge. The fact that we're not competitive with it, with Europe, is the challenge.' For smaller manufacturers, ministers will consult on a new 'intensity threshold' to provide relief. The scheme, which could be up and running as soon as 2027, is expected to work by analysing the ratio between a company's energy usage and its turnover, adjusting the support on offer accordingly. Make UK, the trade body for the sector, welcomed indications that companies are in line to receive the support they have long campaigned for. 'If we're going to move the dial in the industrial strategy we have to get manufacturers' eye-watering energy costs more in line with our competitors,,' said Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK. 'This would be an incredibly welcome move for companies and provide a much-needed shot in the arm at a time when they are facing multiple challenges on all fronts. 'It would also give a vital kickstart to investment and help manufacturing support the government to deliver its growth mission to boost the economy.' The strategy is also likely to include greater powers for the state-owned British Business Bank to invest directly in businesses, particularly small and medium-sized startups. The department for business and trade declined to comment on the content of the industrial strategy. Ministers were expected to publish the industrial strategy earlier this year but the announcement was postponed as the government brought forward detailed plans for individual sectors. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Guardian
19 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
UK manufacturing set for a funding boost to reduce energy costs
UK manufacturing is expected to receive support to ease energy costs and boost skills, the Guardian understands, as part of a long-awaited industrial strategy due to be unveiled next week. Energy-intensive industries have long complained that they pay too much for electricity compared with competitors in the EU, while the wider industrial sector has struggled to recruit skilled staff. As Nigel Farage's Reform party targets support in Britain's industrial heartlands, ministers are poised to pour funds into boosting the manufacturing workforce with proposals similar to a £600m package for the construction sector announced earlier this year, which underpins plans to build 1.5m homes. Ministers have drawn up plans to target energy costs through two policies, one targeted at businesses that use the most electricity – such as steel and aluminium – and another designed to support manufacturing more broadly. These are expected to be at the heart of the strategy, which could be announced as soon as Monday. First, the government will increase from 60% to 90% the 'network compensation charging' (NCC) scheme, a discount for energy-intensive businesses on the fees they pay to connect to the Grid. The discount, which is ultimately paid for by other electricity bill-payers including households, is available under the British Industry Supercharger iniative brought in by the previous government. Industry sources said increasing the discount would reduce costs for struggling steelmakers by about £6.50 per megawatt hour (MWh). This is expected to help major firms such as Tata and British Steel, which is under government control, manage the costly transition from blast furnaces to greener electric arc furnaces. However, industry sources said that, while the policy was welcome, the overall saving for the sector is only expected to be worth about £15m a year. Energy costs are likely to remain significantly higher than in Germany and France, chiefly because UK electricity prices are linked to the cost of wholesale gas, which is a larger part of the British energy mix than on the continent. Speaking at the Paris airshow earlier this week, the business and energy minister, Sarah Jones, said: 'Whether you're a company wanting to invest in the UK or whether you're an existing company in the UK, energy prices is a challenge. The fact that we're not competitive with it, with Europe, is the challenge.' For smaller manufacturers, ministers will consult on a new 'intensity threshold' to provide relief. The scheme, which could be up and running as soon as 2027, is expected to work by analysing the ratio between a company's energy usage and its turnover, adjusting the support on offer accordingly. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Make UK, the trade body for the sector, welcomed indications that firms are in line to receive the support they have long campaigned for. 'If we're going to move the dial in the industrial strategy we have to get manufacturers' eye-watering energy costs more in line with our competitors,,' said Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK. 'This would be an incredibly welcome move for companies and provide a much-needed shot in the arm at a time when they are facing multiple challenges on all fronts. 'It would also give a vital kickstart to investment and help manufacturing support the government to deliver its growth mission to boost the economy.' The strategy is also likely to include greater powers for the state-owned British Business Bank to invest directly in businesses, particularly small and medium-sized startups. The department for business and trade declined to comment on the content of the industrial strategy. Ministers were expected to publish the industrial strategy earlier this year but the announcement was postponed as the government brought forward detailed plans for individual sectors.
The Herald
a day ago
- The Herald
Innovate Africa: At the edge of opportunity — inside the Samsung Innovation Lab at UWC
In a small corner of the University of the Western Cape (UWC), a bold idea is quietly changing lives. The Samsung Innovation Lab is not your usual tech classroom. It's a space where students from tough backgrounds get access to skills once out of their reach that can help them break into industries that typically ignore them. But this isn't just about coding. Dr Wouter Grove, who heads the centre, explains that the lab focuses just as much on critical thinking, design thinking, confidence and even public speaking. The aim is simple: give students the tools to shape the future, not just survive it. Kieno Kammies sat down with Grove to understand how this lab is unlocking potential — and why it's already making waves far beyond the UWC campus. TimesLIVE
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Appeal for skilled volunteers to keep St Austell Repair Cafe open
A community repair hub has made a plea for more volunteers after it had to suspend its opening times due to staffing St Austell Repair Cafe, which is part of a 26-strong consortium across Cornwall, said it was on hiatus until September because it was unable to "promote and run the Repair Cafe effectively."The St Austell branch was set up in 2021 by Peter Blenard to help people with repairs or advice in the local Blenard said the decision to pause the cafe was "sad because I think people are really tapping into this space where they can bring their items and get them fixed". 'Bringing people together' Mr Blenard said: "We've got the people coming in but sadly we don't have the volunteers and we know there are people out there with skills we can use. "You don't need to be absolutely amazing at something - I would always refer to myself as a jack of all trades but a master of absolutely nothing."Even the smallest skills you think you have, can be helpful to so many."Mr Blenard said the repair cafe was looking for more electrical repairers, more mechanical repairers, more people with soldering skills and more sewing skills."It's not just about fixing stuff, although that has such a positive impact, this is about bringing people together as well," he added."It's about sharing your skills and getting to know each other." 'All sorts of roles' The chairman said vacuum cleaners were "usually an absolutely huge" item brought in for fixing, alongside watches, lamps and Blenard said he would "love five or six volunteers willing to give a couple of hours a month" to help get the repair cafe up and running again."We want people to feel comfortable and that it's not a huge daunting prospect but something that can help your local community and also help people in need who haven't got the money to buy something new.""It's not just about fixing things. We need people to provide the tea and coffee, triage the things that come in and point people in the right direction. There's all sorts of roles at a repair cafe," he St Austell Repair Cafe will be running a volunteer introduction morning at 10:00 BST on 9 August in the Light & Life Centre.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
10 Ways To Build AI Skills And Stay Irreplaceable At Work
Building AI skills positions you as an indispensable asset in today's tech-driven environment. While executives are pouring billions into AI and pushing for company-wide adoption, most employees are being left behind. According to Gallup, two-thirds of workers report never using AI on the job, and only 4% use it daily. The result is a widening gap in AI skills between those keeping pace with change and those at risk of falling behind. Developing AI fluency is no longer optional. It's a career necessity. The good news is that it's not too late to catch up. Here are ten ways to build your AI skills, no matter your current role or technical background. The barrier to building AI skills has never been lower, thanks to comprehensive free courses from leading AI companies. OpenAI Academy offers expert-led workshops, online tutorials and community engagement designed for real-world applications. Meanwhile, Anthropic has launched AI Fluency: Framework & Foundations, a course developed in partnership with Prof. Joseph Feller (University College Cork) and Prof. Rick Dakan (Ringling College of Art and Design). As Prof. Rick Dakan explains, "We created this framework because people need more than better prompts. They need practical skills for knowing when to delegate to AI, how to evaluate its output, and when to maintain human judgment. The students and professionals who thrive will be those who master these collaboration skills." You don't need to understand machine learning algorithms to develop AI skills. Instead, concentrate on how AI can solve problems in your specific role: This data becomes invaluable when discussing your AI skills with managers or during performance reviews. OpenAI Academy's community groups facilitate peer-to-peer learning through local and interest-based networks. Look for industry-specific AI groups on LinkedIn, Discord or specialized platforms where professionals share real-world use cases, troubleshoot challenges and discuss emerging tools. These communities often provide more practical insights than formal training programs and can accelerate your AI skills development. You can even start an AI discussion group at work to help co-workers share information and normalize AI usage. Effective AI interaction requires learning how to communicate clearly with AI systems. That's why prompt engineering, the art of crafting effective instructions for AI tools, is a crucial skill. Practice writing specific, context-rich AI prompts: The more specific your input, the more useful the AI's output: Prompt engineering is a skill that improves with practice, so focus on iterating and refining your approach with each interaction. Rather than overhauling your entire work process, introduce AI tools incrementally. Start with one specific task per week to reduce overwhelm while building confidence through small wins. Begin with low-stakes applications. Use AI to generate meeting agenda templates, summarize lengthy documents or create first drafts of routine communications. As you become comfortable with these applications, gradually tackle more complex challenges. The AI landscape evolves rapidly, with new tools and features launching regularly. Stay ahead by: This keeps you ahead of colleagues while revealing practical applications before they become mainstream. True AI skills include communicating AI's value to colleagues, managers, and clients. Develop simple, jargon-free explanations that focus on business outcomes rather than technical features. Instead of explaining how natural language processing works, describe how AI helped you reduce report preparation time by 40%. Volunteer to share AI discoveries with your team. Teaching others reinforces your learning while positioning you as a knowledgeable resource, leading to opportunities to lead AI initiatives or training programs. Explore AI's creative potential by using tools to generate multiple solutions to complex challenges or brainstorm innovative approaches. Ask AI to approach a budget constraint from five different perspectives or generate creative alternatives to standard processes. This experimentation builds confidence in AI's versatility while developing your ability to think creatively with AI as a partner. Document breakthrough moments when AI helps you see problems differently—these insights demonstrate advanced AI skills beyond basic task automation. Track concrete metrics that demonstrate your AI skills value: Quantified AI impact makes your skills tangible and positions you as someone who can drive measurable business value through technology adoption. Develop judgment to use AI responsibly by learning when AI output needs human verification, understanding bias limitations, and recognizing tasks requiring human insight. Practice evaluating AI recommendations critically rather than accepting them blindly. Study your industry's emerging AI ethics guidelines and best practices to stay informed. This critical thinking component becomes increasingly valuable as organizations seek employees who can thoughtfully navigate AI's capabilities and limitations. Your ability to use AI wisely, not just frequently, will distinguish you as a trusted AI practitioner. While many professionals remain on the sidelines, those who proactively develop AI skills will become indispensable to their organizations. By embracing these strategies, you can turn AI from an intimidating technology into a powerful professional ally. Remember, developing AI skills doesn't require you to become a technical expert. It's about thinking strategically, solving problems and knowing how to leverage the latest tools to drive results. In an increasingly AI-driven workplace, your willingness to learn, experiment and adapt will set you apart and give you a decisive career edge.
