When the England football team flew home almost two weeks before the end of the World Cup they touched down at Heathrow in an Airbus A340-600. As the team shuffled down the steps it sparked a thought that a group more deserving of the title "the golden generation" are the highly skilled workers who build wings, fuel systems and landing gear for this plane and aircraft the world over.

Too often you hear the myth repeated that British manufacturing is dead but if the UK aerospace industry could compete in a World Cup we would have won it many times - mostly down to the skill of our wingers.

The show is a fantastic opportunity to showcase outstanding examples of world leading British manufacturing. We are one of the only countries with expertise across the entire product range - from advanced airframes and aero-engines, through to maintenance and repair.

 Vince Cable
 

As one of the principal manufacturing industries, aerospace will play a major part helping our economy to grow and reducing the budget deficit. The latest Aerospace Defence and Security (ADS) export figures out last week showed the UK's aerospace sector had increased by 5.4% to £22.2bn ($33.9bn) last year.

However, we need to stay ahead of the game because there are new entrants to the industry with China, Russia and India all growing their own aerospace sectors. It is skills that will ensure that the workforce of tomorrow maintains the expertise we can see in evidence at the Airshow today. Rolls-Royce has extensive graduate and apprenticeship programmes and government is also continuing to invest in this area. An early signal of my support for skills in this sector is my decision to redirect savings within the department to strengthen, rather than reduce, investment in FE colleges and to create 50,000 new apprenticeships.

It is also important to note that the sector is a regional employer and an engine of some regional economies. After a decade in which too much growth in the UK has slid inexorably into the South East, our strengths at Derby, Filton and Broughton are valuable regional sources of growth.

The supply chain spreads even further, with SMEs located throughout Britain. It is these companies, making up the majority of aerospace companies in the UK, that will play a valuable role in the expansion of the sector. Government is committed to providing the support they need to make this happen and has already taken action by improving access to finance and committing to reducing the headline rate of corporation tax from 2011.

Lastly it will be innovative ideas that will ensure British aerospace maintains its leading position in the global market. The industry needs to become more energy efficient, lowering costs and meeting reduced CO2 targets. It will be new ideas and inventions that will meet these challenges. This is why government is committed to sustaining a high-performing research environment, investing billions in science and research this year.

As a boy I remember going into airshows in wartime aerodromes and being left spellbound by the exciting new planes of that era - Vulcans, Victors, Hunters and Comets. When I visit Farnborough today I am looking forward to seeing a new generation of technology and I hope that children visiting the show will be inspired to join this highly skilled industry and create a new golden generation for UK aerospace.

Source: Flight Daily News

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