Last year’s conference held by the Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service felt rather like a lovely summer festival: it had something of an upbeat feel, with warm hints that the sector was on the upturn.
It highlighted success stories such as Dundee’s Michelin tyre plant, which was transformed from a factory on the brink of shutting its gates to being the French company’s top performer in Europe.
Scotland still has more than 8,000 companies in the manufacturing sector, with many having particularly successful years last year and enjoying optimistic forecasts for the summer of 2015.
From the wide range of jobs showcased here on www.s1jobs.com, it’s not difficult to see just how diverse the sector is in Scotland when it comes to offering opportunities.
But there are is one sector that will always be needed and looks certain to grow and grow . . . and that is quality control.
Perhaps taking a lead from a recent announcement by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) – that, in combination with new technology designed to check food efficiently and accurately, it is now focussing on controls on-site – 2015 may well see the quality control sector focus on the first stages of the process.
If companies can be sure certain products meet regulations prior to sending them off out to fend for themselves in the world, it saves money, reputation and a whole lot of time and effort.
Thankfully, there are many quality control roles in play right now to help them do just that.
Let’s start with the food trade. It’s Scotland biggest manufacturing sub-section, and a lot of quality control jobs are centred here. It’s not just about ensuring the quality of the products themselves, but also the standards of the production line process.
Quality control supervisor opportunities here are growing across the entire spectrum. Meat, whiskey, bakeries, fish, fresh foods and processed food factories as a whole all need a high level of control. Such is the emphasis, and financial implications, of getting it right first time, companies are intent on getting the right people in to help.
If you have a history in oil & gas or expertise, then combine your understanding of procedures and quality control and get involved with the drilling and oil opportunities that are out there.
Strict standards on exports mean strict controls. The oil industry knows this better than most.
Then there’s the quality control of systems and machinery across a range of industries. Computer systems, for example, have to be deemed safe and secure then maintained and expertise in this area is becoming much sought after.
Homeware manufacturing is also following suit, with companies vying for your attention as the best person to ensure product quality from an early stage to maintain their commercial reputations.
And then, of course, there are the jobs with a whole raft of independent regulatory bodies.
When it comes to quality control, companies understand there can be no room for second best. That’s why they want you on their books.
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