Advancing Skills for Manufacturing and Inspection

Jamie is Senior Policy Manager at Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation representing more than 20,000 engineering and manufacturing businesses across the UK. He leads Make UK’s policy work and government engagement on employment and skills, ensuring the sector’s voice is heard on critical policy issues such as apprenticeships, STEM education and labour market reform. Prior to joining Make UK, Jamie worked for a political consultancy advising clients on policy and regulatory issues, including education providers, staffing agencies and manufacturing businesses, and started his career in the office of a Shadow Education Minister.

Don Atkinson has been involved in Welding for the last 49 years since he served his apprenticeship in the Shipbuilding Industry and for the last 36 years until he semi retired in 2024 Don has been involved in Training and promoting skills in Further Education Industry and Nationally as North East Regional Manager for the Engineering Construction Industry training board

Don has been involved with the Welding Institute for 36 years and he is currently President of the Welding Institute in Teesside and also Chairman of Skillweld UK

Richard's career journey started in the automotive industry at age 16, where he served his time within local technical colleges and franchised dealerships, attaining the position of Master Technician for Citroen & Peugeot in 1996 before moving into management. By 2004 Richard had oversight of several sites, and working for well-known PLC’s. In 2007 Richard decided to make a career pivot, moving into the Petrochemical industry, transferring skills and training as a Process Diagnostic & Instrumentation Engineer, realising extensive international travel both on & offshore. In 2013, Richard engaged in Subsea Inspection as a CSWIP 3.4u, subsequently leading to setting up and running several subsea inspection departments in Norway, Sweden & UK, including that of his own company in 2023.

In recent years, the emphasis has been on providing solutions, direction, and the development of remote technologies from robotic platforms for the offshore Inspection & Survey industry. Additionally, Richard have been a contributing member of the CSWIP 3.4u working group since 2018 & committee member of the CSWIP CISMIC since 2021.