:00:00. > :00:09.Hello and welcome to Midlands Today, coming live from Telford, in
:00:10. > :00:12.Shropshire. Tonight, we'll be looking at just
:00:13. > :00:18.how much we still make here in the Midlands.
:00:19. > :00:24.Manufacturing is on the up once again, but by how much? I think the
:00:25. > :00:29.West Midlands economy, given the surge in manufacturing and exports,
:00:30. > :00:33.would be in the region of 5`6%. In this hall, we have brought together
:00:34. > :00:38.101 things, all made in the Midlands, from tanks to teddy bears
:00:39. > :00:43.and plenty in between. The West Midlands is the export Centre for
:00:44. > :00:47.the UK. Half of the British exports. We look back at some of the things
:00:48. > :00:50.we used to make which we can be rightly proud of.
:00:51. > :00:54.And we look forward to where jobs in the future might come from.
:00:55. > :00:57.So all types of things for all types of conditions, and that is perhaps
:00:58. > :01:10.appropriate with the weather that is heading our way.
:01:11. > :01:18.Good evening from the International Centre in Telford. We've got a very
:01:19. > :01:21.different programme for you, as we examine the health of manufacturing
:01:22. > :01:24.in the Midlands ` once known as the workshop of the world.
:01:25. > :01:29.We suffered more than anywhere else when manufacturing became
:01:30. > :01:35.unfashionable. Tens of thousands of jobs disappeared in this region. But
:01:36. > :01:37.now it's seen as essential once again that we design, make and sell
:01:38. > :01:39.more. And there's evidence that's
:01:40. > :01:48.happening. Nationally, growth this year is expected to hit 2% or so and
:01:49. > :01:51.that's a welcome change. But latest predictions for the West Midlands
:01:52. > :01:54.suggest that growth here could be double that, perhaps even 5%. And it
:01:55. > :01:57.will be manufacturing led. In a moment, I'll be talking to
:01:58. > :02:01.entrepeneur and former Trade Minister Lord Digby Jones, who's
:02:02. > :02:04.spent a lifetime in industry in the region.
:02:05. > :02:08.But first, our business correspondent Peter Plisner on how
:02:09. > :02:16.it all began just a few miles from here at the birthplace of the
:02:17. > :02:24.industrial revolution. The famous Ironbridge, known the
:02:25. > :02:27.world over. Now a popular tourist attraction in an area dubbed "the
:02:28. > :02:35.birthplace of the Industrial Revolution". That is because it was
:02:36. > :02:39.here that Abraham Darby perfected a cheaper way of making I am. It was
:02:40. > :02:44.an innovation that quickly spread. Initially to places like the nearby
:02:45. > :02:48.Black Country, which became one of the most heavily industrialised
:02:49. > :02:52.areas of the UK. It was the engine room of the entire economy. It drove
:02:53. > :02:57.British expansion and it drove, really, the British Empire. But like
:02:58. > :03:00.many areas that saw rapid growth, the Black Country also suffered
:03:01. > :03:04.economic decline. The closure of the Round Oak Steel Works was a major
:03:05. > :03:07.blow. It's now the site of the Merry Hill Shopping Centre. The decline
:03:08. > :03:11.continued, with metal`bashing moving abroad where Labour was cheaper. But
:03:12. > :03:14.nothing was safe. There was uproar when production of the famous HP
:03:15. > :03:22.sauce was moved from Birmingham to Holland and the factory was
:03:23. > :03:25.demolished. Manufacturing companies, when they have looked to offshore
:03:26. > :03:31.within Europe, they have gone to central and Asian Europe, in the
:03:32. > :03:34.Slovakia and eastern Europe, they are a fraction of what they are
:03:35. > :03:38.here. Globally, they have looked further afield and in many cases,
:03:39. > :03:40.gone to China to Salisbury cheap components where Labour costs are
:03:41. > :03:48.much lower. But there's evidence that some manufacturing is returning
:03:49. > :03:51.to the Midlands. Management at this Birmingham engineering firm has
:03:52. > :03:55.moved an entire factory back from Hungary. We didn't expect to do it.
:03:56. > :03:59.Arguably, it was quite frustrating, having gone out there with the best
:04:00. > :04:02.of intentions, but you have to keep reinventing your strategy and moving
:04:03. > :04:06.on. But reshoring, as it's called, isn't the only reason there's
:04:07. > :04:09.growth. Success at companies like Jaguar Land Rover and JCB has also
:04:10. > :04:19.helped to boost the fortunes of the region's components suppliers. And
:04:20. > :04:26.this is one of them. At this car `based `` car seat maker in Tipton,
:04:27. > :04:33.recession hit hard but now they are seeing orders up to an increase of
:04:34. > :04:37.30%. When I first started, it was quite small and now it is absolutely
:04:38. > :04:42.stretched. The progress has been quite something, it is all good. I
:04:43. > :04:47.have worked here for six years and they keep on employing and employing
:04:48. > :04:52.unemployed. It all means that the West Midlands now accounts for
:04:53. > :04:58.around 7% of UK output and the region also has the countries
:04:59. > :05:02.fastest growth in exports. `` country's. Nationally, we are
:05:03. > :05:05.expecting growth of two `3% and I think the West Midlands economy,
:05:06. > :05:07.given the surge in growth and exports, will be in the region of
:05:08. > :05:10.5`6%. The Business Secretary Vince Cable
:05:11. > :05:17.says the strong performance here is helping the recovery. Half of
:05:18. > :05:21.British exports, certainly of goods, originate in the West Midlands and
:05:22. > :05:24.it is now growing rapidly and it is based on the emerging markets. And
:05:25. > :05:27.if this recovery that we are experiencing is going to be kept
:05:28. > :05:32.going, and it must be that the sake of the country, it has got to be
:05:33. > :05:35.export `based. It is going to be increasingly manufacturing base and
:05:36. > :05:37.the West Midlands, more than any other part of the country, is going
:05:38. > :05:40.to deliver that. Innovation is often key to survival
:05:41. > :05:43.and some firms have simply been left behind. At the Cash's factory in
:05:44. > :05:48.Coventry, there's a long history of labels for clothes. But recently the
:05:49. > :05:55.company went bust. Its administrator says after a recession, some firms
:05:56. > :05:58.still struggle. What tends to happen is that as you are coming out of a
:05:59. > :06:02.recession, businesses start to grow, which is obviously a good
:06:03. > :06:05.thing. But growth as a result of more orders, again a good thing, but
:06:06. > :06:11.that growth requires funding and funding can be very difficult to get
:06:12. > :06:13.after a recession because lenders are still nervous.
:06:14. > :06:16.But other firms have survived the recession by making niche products.
:06:17. > :06:21.Back near Ironbridge, this cycle maker is one of them. The skills
:06:22. > :06:25.that we have a very specialist, it is something you cannot outsource to
:06:26. > :06:29.the Far East. When we started framed building in the 1980s, there were
:06:30. > :06:32.probably 200 frame builders in the UK. Now there are about 20.
:06:33. > :06:36.In the past, the West Midlands was a powerhouse of the UK economy. Now,
:06:37. > :06:38.with strong growth in exports once again, it's the region's
:06:39. > :06:44.manufacturers that are leading the way ` this time out of recession.
:06:45. > :06:47.With this now is the former director`general of the CBI, Lord
:06:48. > :06:50.Digby Jones, former government minister and the chairman of the
:06:51. > :06:55.company that makes this Triumph bikes. What about Vince Cable saying
:06:56. > :06:59.that West Midlands Manufacturing is so important for the whole country?
:07:00. > :07:02.Speaking yes and well done, you guys, for celebrating tonight,
:07:03. > :07:06.because we need the media and the schools to push that message all the
:07:07. > :07:10.time. It is coming from a Cabinet Minister, what could be better? You
:07:11. > :07:19.have roadster, Longbridge, Castle Bromwich, commentary, Solihull ``
:07:20. > :07:23.commentary. Wherever you are watching, we are leaders in the
:07:24. > :07:28.recovery and are balancing the economy back into manufacturing. And
:07:29. > :07:34.in the report it said that growth could be double the national
:07:35. > :07:38.average. It is realistic and it is done on the back of exporting to
:07:39. > :07:42.emerging markets. It is about export. About making things. And the
:07:43. > :07:46.demise of manufacturing was because we made things that weren't good
:07:47. > :07:49.enough for people who didn't want to buy them who were selling on price,
:07:50. > :07:54.where someone in China is going to beat you. Now these things are all
:07:55. > :07:59.sold on value added. Price is important but it is not what gets
:08:00. > :08:04.you there, it is brand, it is "want to have" , quality and innovation.
:08:05. > :08:06.That is why it is sustainable. Emerging middle class is
:08:07. > :08:15.sustainable. Emerging middle classes in commentary, Brazil, `` in Brazil
:08:16. > :08:21.or China, they wanted to show these things are. We have this tank here,
:08:22. > :08:26.it is a massive innovation of skills, we couldn't show everything,
:08:27. > :08:29.but why did things go bad for manufacturing? I think there was
:08:30. > :08:33.complacency after the war, we felt we didn't have to trike anymore but
:08:34. > :08:37.the rest of the world was catching up. Awful, dreadful trade union
:08:38. > :08:45.attitudes, which is so different to today. If you look around, it is
:08:46. > :08:49.fully unionised, just down the road in Wolverhampton, 1400 jobs at the
:08:50. > :08:55.engine plant, all unionised but it would never have happened 30 years
:08:56. > :08:58.ago. Awful industrial relations and poor quality. Birmingham City
:08:59. > :09:05.Council announced grand ambitious plans around where HS2 is about to
:09:06. > :09:10.commit. A sign of confidence question mark tremendous side. I
:09:11. > :09:13.have always said do not listen to politicians, always look at what
:09:14. > :09:18.they are going to do. If they sign the checked Birmingham, it is great
:09:19. > :09:24.news for watching the programme. Get yourself a skill and believe in the
:09:25. > :09:28.region. Lord Digby Jones, thank you. One industry that has really
:09:29. > :09:31.struggled over recent years as the pottery business, around
:09:32. > :09:35.Stoke`on`Trent, but one company in amongst all that has done really
:09:36. > :09:39.well, the Portmeirion Group. They have survived and Sarah Plimbley is
:09:40. > :09:49.here to talk about it. What has been the key? I think for Portmeirion, it
:09:50. > :09:54.is a quality product that at price people can afford. I don't think it
:09:55. > :09:58.is a coincidence that those companies who are doing well now are
:09:59. > :10:03.the ones who have maintained a UK manufacturing base. How important is
:10:04. > :10:07.customer loyalty? Essential. If you think you have someone buying
:10:08. > :10:11.tableware, that is an investment for life. We want them to stay with us
:10:12. > :10:14.for the whole time, enjoying their time around tables. Sarah, thank you
:10:15. > :10:17.very much. You're watching a special edition of
:10:18. > :10:24.Midlands Today, trying to gauge how manufacturing businesses are doing
:10:25. > :10:27.across the region. I am joined by the bosses of three very different
:10:28. > :10:31.companies. We are all sitting on COBRA chairs made right here in
:10:32. > :10:34.Telford and you might have seen them in the dugouts at football grounds
:10:35. > :10:42.around the country. Jason, if I can turn to you first, the chair of
:10:43. > :10:48.Institute of Directors and eastern foods. Are you finding the right
:10:49. > :10:57.people and the right skills? It is difficult to find the right people.
:10:58. > :11:01.We have 30 apprentices we have employed and over the last two
:11:02. > :11:06.years, we have only retain seven, so there is complexity in getting hold
:11:07. > :11:10.of the right skilled people and getting the right words are fake.
:11:11. > :11:14.The West Midlands is vital in the export market. What about in East
:11:15. > :11:18.End Foods? Have you got a healthy export? We are very proud to be
:11:19. > :11:22.producing everything in the UK. What we find is we are exporting to 30
:11:23. > :11:27.countries, including India. The value of brand Britain around the
:11:28. > :11:34.world is absolutely amazing and we are able to sell very easily all
:11:35. > :11:37.around the world. You are nodding at that, you supply components for the
:11:38. > :11:43.car industry amongst other things. You benefited hugely from the
:11:44. > :11:48.expansion of like your agenda `` Jaguar Land Rover. Had you make sure
:11:49. > :11:53.you don't have all of your eggs one basket? We help to supply parts for
:11:54. > :11:58.every single model and there are further plans ahead to increase
:11:59. > :12:07.their models, so we don't think we have. What is your growth forecast?
:12:08. > :12:10.Since the start of the recession, millennium has doubled in size and
:12:11. > :12:17.we will grow another third this year, and it will be ongoing. What
:12:18. > :12:20.is it down to? The opportunity the growth in the industry has given us
:12:21. > :12:23.but we are also seeing growth in construction and we won a new
:12:24. > :12:28.contract in the construction sector. So there is a renaissance in
:12:29. > :12:33.construction? I think it will grow this year more than it has done
:12:34. > :12:36.previously. Thank you very much indeed. So it does sound as though
:12:37. > :12:39.there are indeed reasons to be cheerful about the growth in the
:12:40. > :12:42.West Midlands, which seems to be really pushing the economic revival
:12:43. > :12:45.right across the country. We can be proud of the things the
:12:46. > :12:48.Midlands has made. This double`decker Metro Cammel bus, made
:12:49. > :12:57.in Birmingham, is a popular exhibit at The Transport Museum at Wythall.
:12:58. > :13:07.If not a bus. What about this? The Reliant Robin. Del boy and Rodney,
:13:08. > :13:10.made of fibreglass in Tamworth. And look at this absolute beauty.
:13:11. > :13:14.Everyone aspire to one of these, boy racers such as myself. The E`Type
:13:15. > :13:19.Jag, made in Coventry, and often voted the most beautiful car ever
:13:20. > :13:26.made. This one is owned by Nigel Harper. Hello. Why is it so
:13:27. > :13:29.special? Enzo Ferrari said that the E type Jaguar was the most beautiful
:13:30. > :13:33.car in the world and 50 years later, it was the only car that
:13:34. > :13:38.appeared in the design Museum in London. I think that just proves how
:13:39. > :13:45.the design has stood the test of time. Speak like how old is this?
:13:46. > :13:52.1966. How much is it worth? ?150,000. Nigel, thank you very
:13:53. > :13:57.much. From the E type jack to this little
:13:58. > :14:00.fellow. `` Jaguar. The Mini changed everything when it rolled off the
:14:01. > :14:03.production line in Birmingham in 1959. Transverse engine, front`wheel
:14:04. > :14:06.drive, trendy and you could get the family in at a squeeze. Five million
:14:07. > :14:11.were made, making the Mini the best`selling British car of all
:14:12. > :14:13.time. And as Sarah Falkland has been finding out, they turned up in all
:14:14. > :14:20.sorts of places. The marvellous Mini. Made in
:14:21. > :14:24.Longbridge, thrashed in the Italian Job. But it was a single
:14:25. > :14:30.Birmingham`made Morris commercial van that gave us the film's immortal
:14:31. > :14:34.line. You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off. Coventry`made
:14:35. > :14:40.black cabs, good enough for us and for royalty. But did you know that
:14:41. > :14:43.Stephen Fry and Kate Moss have one of their own? And the flamboyant
:14:44. > :14:47.King of Tonga used to tour his island state in one? Midlands motors
:14:48. > :14:50.cope well in hot climates, though. Lara Croft knew that. Solihull`based
:14:51. > :14:55.Land Rover even brought out a Tomb Raider limited`edition Defender.
:14:56. > :14:58.It was craftmanship in Cradley Heath, though, that made the chains
:14:59. > :15:02.and anchors for the ill`fated Titanic.
:15:03. > :15:05.WHISTLE. It's comforting to think that
:15:06. > :15:09.Midlands`made whistles helped in the rescue operation. Out came this
:15:10. > :15:13.whistle. Kate Winslet, heroine, Rose, blew it. And on it, clearly,
:15:14. > :15:16.blown up before me big on the screen, it said "Acme Thunderer,
:15:17. > :15:22.made in England". Which was the first I knew about it. Forward 30
:15:23. > :15:26.years and Birmingham`made Spitfires helped save thousands of lives.
:15:27. > :15:29.Designed by RJ Mitchell from Kidsgrove, in Staffordshire, the
:15:30. > :15:35.Spitfire achieved fame in the Battle of Britain. Over 12,000 rolled out
:15:36. > :15:38.of the factory at Castle Bromwich. Here is where your salvage, your
:15:39. > :15:41.saucepans and shillings and pence have, under the magic wand of
:15:42. > :15:46.industry, become part and parcel of the finest fighting aircraft in the
:15:47. > :15:51.world. She could fly higher and faster than anything else and was
:15:52. > :15:54.the envy of the Germans. If only the Meriden`made Triumph motorbike could
:15:55. > :16:02.have got Steve McQueen away from the Nazis, his escape would have been
:16:03. > :16:06.truly great. No denying the greatness of this man. Did you know
:16:07. > :16:09.that Winston Churchill was buried in a coffin with fittings made at the
:16:10. > :16:13.Newman Brothers factory in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter? So
:16:14. > :16:16.too was Princess Diana. In her youth, she'd famously whizzed around
:16:17. > :16:21.Kensington in a Longbridge`built Mini Metro. But royalty's links with
:16:22. > :16:26.Midlands manufacturing went back way before then. The Queen nearly always
:16:27. > :16:32.has a custom`made Launer handbag on her arm. These are the girls in
:16:33. > :16:37.Walsall who make them. For decades, Her Majesty played safe with beige
:16:38. > :16:40.and black. But then a couple of years ago, she started experimenting
:16:41. > :16:45.with colour and sales here at Launer went through the roof.
:16:46. > :16:47.Even in black and white, Birmingham chocolate`maker Cadbury quadrupled
:16:48. > :16:51.sales for their Flake with a winning ad formula. Light, crumbly,
:16:52. > :17:03.heavenly. Pretty girl, scenic backdrop and more than a hint of
:17:04. > :17:06.suggestion. And Hurst comes in. Finally, another
:17:07. > :17:12.starring performance from Acme Whistles. 1966 was the year.
:17:13. > :17:18.England's disputed World Cup goal made official in a single blast. A
:17:19. > :17:20.timepiece of Midlands manufacturing that helped make footballing
:17:21. > :17:26.history. All made in the Midlands. Now, look
:17:27. > :17:30.at this, this is called a violectra, an electric violin and
:17:31. > :17:35.that is worth ?4000. It was handmade in Moseley in Birmingham. This is
:17:36. > :17:37.what it sounds like in the hands of an Aston Villa fan and fiddler
:17:38. > :17:55.supreme Nigel Kennedy. Manufacturing thrives on good ideas.
:17:56. > :18:01.Like this clever design to put in your garden, made in Warwickshire.
:18:02. > :18:04.Very stylish, guaranteed to get the neighbours talking and, as you can
:18:05. > :18:13.see, you can turn it to catch the sun. A brilliant idea, but where are
:18:14. > :18:16.the next great ideas coming from that will create the jobs of the
:18:17. > :18:18.future? Our science correspondent David Gregory Kumar has been
:18:19. > :18:26.investigating. Frozen Blood. New ways make silicon
:18:27. > :18:29.chips and hydrogen cars. All products of Tomorrow's World. And
:18:30. > :18:31.all part of a ?50 million project, the Science City Research Alliance,
:18:32. > :18:34.involving the University of Birmingham, the University of
:18:35. > :18:38.Warwick and Industry. Science City cash helped buy this equipment and
:18:39. > :18:41.pay for this lab. Giant magnets providing industry with insights
:18:42. > :18:46.into everything from ice cream to catalytic converters for cars. It's
:18:47. > :18:50.a great facility. It offers a lot. The big picture is to try and reduce
:18:51. > :18:57.the cost of these catalysts whilst trying to maximise efficiency.
:18:58. > :19:01.Better catalytic converters is good news for our car`makers. But Science
:19:02. > :19:04.City doesn't just work with established companies, it encourages
:19:05. > :19:08.scientists to set up companies of their own. And that could also be
:19:09. > :19:17.very good news for the region. We do have a company. We spun out
:19:18. > :19:21.Irresistible Materials in 2011. There is a company that is based
:19:22. > :19:24.actually in the middle that we are actively talking to at the moment
:19:25. > :19:28.about how we develop this technology them. So in five years, Science City
:19:29. > :19:32.means almost 500 jobs created and safeguarded. 12 new businesses
:19:33. > :19:34.formed. 1,000 academic papers published. But also two of our
:19:35. > :19:41.strongest research universities working together for the first time.
:19:42. > :19:44.There has to be impact of this research and quite rightly so,
:19:45. > :19:48.something the taxpayer sees as a return on their investment in
:19:49. > :19:51.science. And so a lot of the emphasis of the people involved in
:19:52. > :19:54.this programme has been to make these collaborations with industry,
:19:55. > :19:58.so that there is a product at the end of that there is a real impact
:19:59. > :20:03.of a company that is generating wealth in this region. No more ivory
:20:04. > :20:15.towers. The future is about turning our best cutting edge research into
:20:16. > :20:19.products, companies and jobs. Goal`line technology, there is an
:20:20. > :20:32.invention that was somewhat controversial when it first came
:20:33. > :20:36.back, . Four years ago, we feature Duncan Williams goal`line technology
:20:37. > :20:42.per rugby and how as it progressed? It has moved forward a lot, American
:20:43. > :20:47.football have taken it. It is moving forward and in the right way.
:20:48. > :20:54.Talkers through it. It provides an electronic invisible curtain,
:20:55. > :20:59.covered by lasers. When you break them, you score, as simple as that.
:21:00. > :21:04.We have used it in military technology, it is well proven. And
:21:05. > :21:08.it puts an end to arguments. So while you wait for the RFU to make
:21:09. > :21:12.up their mind, what are you working on? Yes, they take a while. We're
:21:13. > :21:15.working on stress`related equipment for the medical industry.
:21:16. > :21:21.Stress`related equipment is superb and it is what the World Health
:21:22. > :21:26.Organisation advocate all over the world, really successful and going
:21:27. > :21:32.places. You can find out more from RIA technology, on the Facebook page
:21:33. > :21:40.`` I ate technology. I'm going to put this to the test. Steffan
:21:41. > :21:41.Hildred, top scorer but Telford this season, is wearing the right kit.
:21:42. > :21:53.Take it away. Let's make that 214 points this
:21:54. > :22:00.season. Well done, a couple of points there
:22:01. > :22:04.and want to raise over here about the Microcab. John Jostins is the
:22:05. > :22:10.Chief Executive of the company and a professor at Coventry University.
:22:11. > :22:13.How does this work? It is powered by hydrogen fuel cells. It is an
:22:14. > :22:18.electric vehicle but it makes its own electricity on`board using
:22:19. > :22:25.hydrogen gas stored in a tank, which is then fed to the fuel cell and
:22:26. > :22:30.combined with oxygen over platinum, creating electricity. Essentially,
:22:31. > :22:35.it is powered by hydrogen. Is it going to take off? We get a lot of
:22:36. > :22:41.question about hydrogen. It is a perfectly save fuel, stored in a
:22:42. > :22:46.compressed tank. Has it been taken up yet? It is early stage. The
:22:47. > :22:50.Microcab remade, along with Coventry University, is to look into the
:22:51. > :22:55.future of low carbon mobility and transport and this is one aspect we
:22:56. > :23:00.are experimenting with. John, thank you very much.
:23:01. > :23:03.What is made in the rule all areas of the West Midlands is a vital part
:23:04. > :23:13.of the economy and I have a great example here `` rural. You are the
:23:14. > :23:17.oldest licensed brewery in the country, Three Tuns. How have you
:23:18. > :23:22.managed to weather the storm? We produce unique beers because we old
:23:23. > :23:31.recipes and old yeast that dates back to about 1880, I mean, like you
:23:32. > :23:35.say... So that is the yeast that keeps on giving? Yes, you added to
:23:36. > :23:40.each brew and then take it off that brew and added to the next. We
:23:41. > :23:44.talked about export but you can't get involved in that because it
:23:45. > :23:48.doesn't travel so well. No, we mostly supply the local area but we
:23:49. > :23:52.do get a lot of people coming from America to look at our brewery,
:23:53. > :23:56.because it is very old. Josh, you are an apprentice, are you enjoying
:23:57. > :24:01.it? I am, really enjoying it and Steve is a great teacher. So happy
:24:02. > :24:09.brewing, chaps. But it is not just be that we make, lots of alcohol
:24:10. > :24:13.there, and food, we talked about the East End foods, don't forget
:24:14. > :24:16.oatcakes from Staffordshire and Cadburys chocolate, I vaguely
:24:17. > :24:22.recognise the face, but I'm not sure about the teeth.
:24:23. > :24:29.I am very flattered, I am not certain about the team. It is time
:24:30. > :24:33.for the weather now. Shefali is sitting in a motor boat, so I
:24:34. > :24:35.suppose we will get the shipping forecast.
:24:36. > :24:38.Not quite, thankfully I won't be talking about them this week but
:24:39. > :24:43.this little boat, called Fletcher if you know their boats, perfect for
:24:44. > :24:47.skipping across the surface of receding waters. But we do have more
:24:48. > :24:50.rain on the way in the next 12`18 hours because that area of low
:24:51. > :24:54.pressure I mention at the beginning of the week, that always had the
:24:55. > :24:58.potential to cause problems, looks like it will do. It is cutting
:24:59. > :25:02.across the southern half of the country, clipping the southern part
:25:03. > :25:06.of our region and bringing up 20 millimetres of rain at most, but
:25:07. > :25:12.that is quite a bit, and it is going to bring in snow as well. The area
:25:13. > :25:17.is turning colder, so we have warning service over the rush hour
:25:18. > :25:22.tomorrow morning. Could produce about two centimetres over lower
:25:23. > :25:25.levels and certainly over areas above 300 metres, but only for the
:25:26. > :25:28.southern and western part of the region. We start tonight with clear
:25:29. > :25:36.skies and there will be pockets of Frost, and as the cloud thickens up
:25:37. > :25:39.ahead of this area of rain, it will creep into southern parts of the
:25:40. > :25:43.region, producing some snow, as I said, in those areas and during the
:25:44. > :25:47.first part of tomorrow morning. That is when it is going to be fairly
:25:48. > :25:50.treacherous but further north, in Staffordshire, you probably won't
:25:51. > :25:59.notice anything. Some sunshine to be had there. Their name a Morceli and
:26:00. > :26:03.drive starts `` anymore sunny and dry start. Frost overnight and into
:26:04. > :26:07.the start on Saturday. You don't get to take it home, I'm
:26:08. > :26:11.afraid. We all joined again by Lord Digby Jones. If there is one message
:26:12. > :26:14.you could give to the Government that will help all of the businesses
:26:15. > :26:21.across the West Midlands continue to grow, what would it be? We need more
:26:22. > :26:23.and better skilled people. The West Midlands has got the youngest
:26:24. > :26:29.population in the country and the lowest skills base in the country. I
:26:30. > :26:33.say that with shame, not private. But all of this, everything you have
:26:34. > :26:37.just been talking to all of these people about, it is value added,
:26:38. > :26:44.quality brand innovation. You can't do that if you haven't got skilled
:26:45. > :26:50.people. In the old days, it didn't matter if you couldn't read, write,
:26:51. > :26:56.you were in the steel could, under a car planned career didn't need
:26:57. > :26:59.skills. Today, you need a Ph.D. S in rocket science can be just need to
:27:00. > :27:04.be able to read, write, count and operate a computer and if we don't
:27:05. > :27:08.have an education system that turns kids out at 16 can do that, every
:27:09. > :27:13.small business person watching this will say, "I know what you mean, I
:27:14. > :27:17.can't get skilled people. " That is the biggest challenge the region
:27:18. > :27:21.has. What about the companies themselves question mark work with
:27:22. > :27:35.your local school, work with your local college. May be `` but
:27:36. > :27:37.whatever you do, export. All of this is about exporting. Have the
:27:38. > :27:42.courage, so what you got, you are good at it. We will have to leave it
:27:43. > :27:47.there, thank you. We have been so proud to show you
:27:48. > :27:48.what is made in evidence, I'm sorry we show you everything.