Dudley Building Society to boost support for local business to drive growth in manufacturing

The business has brought a programme called Made Smarter to the Black Country, working in partnership with Coventry University.

Made Smarter is intended to improve the development and adoption of emerging technologies, making a difference to people from the boardroom to the factory floor every day.

The scheme was formed after a nationwide review into UK manufacturing recommended key changes including more ambitious leadership, greater innovation in developing new technologies and faster implementation and adoption of those technologies.

James Paterson, Chief Executive of the Dudley Building Society, said: “We are actively helping to support the regeneration of the region and supporting local business to thrive.

"We have been working to bring Made Smarter to the Black Country for the first time. Manufacturing businesses play an integral role within the local economy, so a programme focused on digital skills for manufacturing is a natural fit for the region. The course supports leaders to transition to a new model, including 3D printing, AI and other skills they may need moving forward.

"It's a good example of how we are focused on supporting education and local business in the region, playing our part in helping to upskill the local economy."

The move is one of a number of plans in place at Dudley Building Society to help support people and businesses in the region.

"We want to help more people own homes in the region and we want to help businesses start up," Mr Paterson said. "We will continue to think about that moving forward as part of our five-year strategy.

“As an initial step, we are excited that in the next week we will launch some highly competitive products available to local businesses, charities and clubs, as part of our ongoing commitment to being there locally and providing access to our branches for local organisations.”

And Mr Paterson said the business was also looking to grow the number of employees it has, in a further boost to the local economy.

"From a capability perspective, we are also continuing to invest in our people and grow the workforce," he said. "We have been actively hiring in the region and have a significant investment programme, including introducing new technology across the business. There's a lot of fantastic initiatives going on and it is an exciting time for the everyone in the team."