About NMIS-Skills

Latest news: NMIS site at granted planning permission

The National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS) is an industry-led international centre of manufacturing expertise where research, industry and the public sector work together to transform skills, productivity and innovation to attract investment and make Scotland a global leader in advanced manufacturing.

This site supports a trailblazing initiative to build a community of practice and develop the skills that staff in industry , training providers, Colleges and Universities will need to work in a collaborative distributed way.

The services and support that NMIS will provide will be shaped by industry. Through elements such as a skills academy; Digital ‘Factory 2050, and collaborative R&D space NMIS will provide a focal point for applied manufacturing research expertise, thereby strengthening Scotland’s reputation for R&D and attracting inward investment.

Industry, across all sectors, geographies and company size has repeatedly said they require an NMIS style facility to help them prosper in an increasingly digital environment. Independent studies also back this up indicating that there is strong industry demand for the range of facilities and services that NMIS will provide. The strategic intent of NMIS will be to leverage Scotland’s significant academic expertise in advanced manufacturing to help drive Scotland’s economic growth for the benefit of all.

With services and outreach activities designed to bring NMIS’ expertise direct to business, and close connections with Scotland’s enterprise and skills agencies, Manufacturing businesses of all size and sub-sector right across Scotland can benefit while the skills academy will help employees and manufacturing leaders thrive in a changing manufacturing environment

NMIS’ focus on digital manufacturing, automation and skills will bring benefits across multiple sectors. Industrial manufacturing businesses in aerospace, engineering, automotive, renewables and shipbuilding will particularly benefit, but NMIS will also support businesses in sectors such as oil and gas, chemicals, life sciences and food and drink. NMIS will draw on the strength and expertise of our Enterprise and Skills Agencies, universities, colleges, and Innovation Centres to ensure businesses right across Scotland can access the NMIS offer. As such digital connectivity and outreach activity will play an integral role.

Scotland’s manufacturing sector recognises that skills are an essential component of growth and innovation. Business leaders have identified a need for strategic support to help them understand where and how they should allocate their manufacturing investment in Industry 4.0 resources.

NMIS recognises the consistent message emerging from Scottish, UK, and international research – that drivers of change such as automation, robotics, data, IOT and VR are all fuelling a requirement for new skills to be developed. The Manufacturing Skills Academy will develop a dynamic offer with evolving curriculum content that addresses this reality.

The Manufacturing Skills Academy will build on, and complement the excellent provision already available across Scottish institutions and providers, by developing new approaches which support employers to embrace industry 4.0.

As a key building block we will ensure that staff working across the sector have the skills and confidence to share their learning and collaborate digitally. The first programmes will encourage staff to develop their confidence across a range of digital teaching and learning skills. A series of webinars and national teachmeets will develop skills, encourage the sharing of good practice and support the formation of a national community of practice. We will establish a set of 50 key NMIS Ambassadors who will in time be the key contacts for an online community of practice. The work referenced to relevant professional continuing professional development frameworks will focus on the key skills that staff will need as the NMIS offer fully rolls out and prepare staff for a the world of distributed digital learning.

NMIS will also help address the need for skills to keep up with new manufacturing tools and techniques, by providing access to modern equipment and training, from basic to highly specialised skills for the existing and future workforce. This will include, for example, contributing to our target of 30,000 Modern Apprentice starts by 2020-21; and the development and use of STEM skills in areas such as engineering, ICT and digital. The initial focus of the NMIS Skills Academy will be around CPD training.

NMIS will also provide a 21st century ‘shopfront’ to school children, college and university students and employers to demonstrate that advanced manufacturing is a clean, high-tech and high-value industry with career opportunities at all levels for people from all backgrounds.

NMIS References

https://www.gov.scot/policies/manufacturing/national-manufacturing-institute-for-scotland/

https://www.strath.ac.uk/workwithus/nationalmanufacturinginstitutescotland/