John Gapper is right to emphasise the symbiosis of creative minds for both the cultural sector and industry (“Must Britain choose between science and the arts?”, December 10).
Britain’s excellence in creative design supports the comparative advantage of UK manufacturers, with creatives such as Jony Ive combining new innovative materials with design. We play our part at the UK’s national steel and metals innovation institute by commissioning artists for projects using neon, stained glass and steel and supporting exhibitions at the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art.
Unfortunately, the CEO of Creative UK’s invocation of “vehicle panel beaters” and “nostalgia . . . for industries that once provided well-paid manual work” mischaracterises Britain’s advanced manufacturing sector. UK manufacturing’s R&D output exceeds that of services, high-value exports punch above their weight and high-skilled, high-waged industrial jobs ensure pay is 45 per cent higher than regional averages in places like Teesside.
Whether at our specialist steel institute, technical ceramic producers in Staffordshire, or pioneers of friction stir welding in Rotherham, this is not “nostalgia” but highly “sustainable careers”, essential for delivering the “green industrial revolution”, sovereign capability and the infrastructure for Britain’s economic output.
Chris McDonald
Chief Executive Officer, Materials Processing Institute, Middlesbrough, UK
Letter: Skilled manual jobs remain at the cutting edge
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