As the wider manufacturing sector faces increasing skills shortages, Sofa Brands International (SBI) is raising its game to recruit and shape the next generation of industry leaders.

There are few young people leaving education these days dreaming of a future in manufacturing. So why not? As Britain is looking to strengthen exports and build skills, the manufacturing sector has a lot to offer.

Sofa Brands International, the UK’s leading branded sofa group, is one of the country’s most successful furniture manufacturers, designing and crafting some of its most well-loved sofas and chairs. These include: the UK’s top furniture brand, G Plan; Duresta, a highly successful label worldwide; and the Parker Knoll collections.

Highly-skilled British craftsmen and women have been designing and building these collections in Wiltshire and the Midlands for many years. However, the falling interest in manufacturing has meant that the next generation of leaders and skilled craftspeople have become less easily identifiable.

Head of human resources at SBI Emma Wharton is passionate about attracting new blood into traditional industries, and manufacturing in particular, and so she enrolled the business in the Government’s apprentice scheme.

The Government’s highly successful scheme was set up to offer young people an alternative option to university which still allowed them to reach their career goals.

The apprenticeship scheme at SBI was launched in 2011 and has since offered eight recent school leavers unique opportunities to learn the ropes across a thriving business. Currently six apprentices are working in the upholstery side of the business, one in sewing and one in business administration within Design and Development.

Joe Bryan, aged 20, is one of the apprentices already making a positive impact in the business. Alongside his fellow apprentices, Joe is part of a structured programme that runs over two years. One day a week he attends Webs Training College in Beeston, Nottingham to add to the on-the-job training he receives through his manager and his mentors at Duresta.

Last year Joe was put forward by the college as one of 12 to travel to the House of Lords as part of the Government’s National Apprentice Week to meet the relevant ministers and talk about his experiences.

“Visiting the House of Lords was my first experience of London,” admits Joe. “It was nerve wracking but a great honour.”

Having been on board for 12 months now, Joe feels that he is really making a difference, and loves the fact he is making something real and skilled. “When I first started we spent the first five weeks understanding the business and following a sales order through the factory,” he explains. That took the apprentices through the sales office, production and planning, fabric ordering, cutting, sewing, upholstery, final inspection, despatch and design and development.

Once complete, the junior team then presented that experience back to the senior operations team. “Having access to everyone in the business is unifying for all our teams,” explains HR head Emma Wharton. “We actively encourage ideas to flow back and forth.”

That flow of information and ideas was taken a step further when Jo Moore, sales director of Duresta, and apprentice Joe Bryan, had a week-long job swap. Sales director Jo rolled her sleeves up and learned how to make and upholster a chair, whilst Joe swapped his overalls for a suit and sold an order to key retailer Furniture Village.

Added to this intake of enthusiastic apprentices are a further six vibrant graduates. Emma Wharton believes they are as exciting as they are diverse. “Our graduates work right across the group," she says, "from design and production at Parker Knoll in Riddings, all the way through to supporting business development for Duresta in China.”

Having begun her HR career at one of British industry’s most admired companies, Emma is a passionate advocate for manufacturing. She says: “What I found at SBI was essentially no different from at Rolls Royce – the best young people are attracted to companies that genuinely invest in their staff and can offer opportunities for them to grow together.”

That said, Emma points out, the manufacturing industry still faces a perception issue. “I don’t think people realise the wide range of the skills required to be successful. Obviously, a design instinct is crucial, but logistical thinking, people skills and possessing a laser-focused eye for detail are also essential.”

The opportunity to develop this wide-ranging skill set played a major role in the decision of Marketing and Management of Textiles graduate, Meisha-Grace Nicely, to apply to SBI. “I was keen to develop across the board in all areas of marketing and promotions,” she says.

Based at Parker Knoll, her day-to-day responsibilities include updating promotions and model collections, as well as co-ordinating wider marketing materials. “Whether it’s organising photo shoots, preparing promotional materials, or managing the ‘swatching’ programme for the Autumn/Winter 2013 collections, the variety of my work means I’m learning new things every day,” she says.

Jade Blackburn was another graduate who SBI identified as possessing these skills and more. An English and Mandarin graduate of Leeds University, Jade joined Duresta in 2012. “I was looking for an opportunity to make the most of my language skills, as well as working at a company where I could make a genuine impact right from the start,” she says.

Alongside Duresta’s CEO, Clive Kenyon-Brown, Jade has flown to China twice in the past 12 months to assist with new business development. “It has been fascinating to see how the market operates in China, and has given me a fantastic insight into one of Duresta’s most exciting growth markets. Going forward, I am confident this will pay dividends as we continue to reach out to further international customers.”

At G Plan, Paul Dack – a star Furniture and Product Design student from Nottingham Trent University - has been traversing trade shows across the UK and further afield to gain inspiration for future design models as part of his graduate programme. This included the interzum show in Cologne, Germany – the largest global trade fair for materials, components and design for furniture production and interiors.

“I’ve had to hit the ground running,” Paul admits. “It’s been challenging at times, but hugely rewarding.” Most of all, he says, being able to utilise and develop the skills he learnt at university has been especially satisfying.

“Visiting the trade shows both nationally and internationally has been fantastic," he says. "Nothing beats seeing some of my ideas being developed into the designs featured in the upcoming G Plan Vintage collections. Working on the Vintage range for 2014 has been really exciting.”

For Emma Wharton, Meisha, Jade, Joe and Paul’s enthusiasm to drive the company forward is typical of the ethos of the young people coming into the organisation. “The graduate and apprenticeship programmes are designed to meet business needs, and developed according to each individual’s interests and ambitions so they are able to grow and develop in parts of the business they are really passionate about.”

Since Emma arrived at SBI in 2011 the company’s brands have all undergone exciting developments. G Plan has further enhanced its reputation by launching the G Plan Vintage range in a tie-up with design icon Wayne Hemingway, while the legendary Parker Knoll brand has been revitalised, bucking wider economic trends to significantly grow sales since 2008. At SBI’s luxury brand, Duresta, further expansion into export markets has also marked an exciting trend, with 25% of sales now going to international shores.

In April, Prime Minister David Cameron visited Duresta to champion the brand's success in overseas markets, as well as promoting apprenticeships. “We were delighted to have this opportunity to be able to raise the profile of our apprentice scheme,” Emma says.

“The Prime Minister was impressed to hear that there has been a 90% increase in the number of apprenticeships in Derbyshire, where the Parker Knoll and Duresta factories are based. We are committed to ensuring that there are continued opportunities for talented and ambitious youngsters in the area to prosper in our exciting industry.”

The success of the SBI schemes reflects a sea change in the attitudes of school leavers and graduates that has begun to take shape in recent years. Rising university fees and a saturation in the service jobs market has led to a shift in perspective. Increasing numbers of youngsters up and down the country now look to UK manufacturing and apprenticeships as the key to their future careers. The National Apprenticeship Service recently reported there is now a staggering 11 applicants for each apprenticeship vacancy.

For SBI, this is an opportunity to access a pipeline of the best and brightest budding furniture industry professionals. “This trend is an encouraging sign for SBI as we push on with further innovation and growth across our brands,” Emma says. “Our future depends on the continued ideas, skill and dedication of all of our people.”

With a raft of bright young people such as Joe, Jade, Meisha and Paul already making people sit up and take note, Emma is confident that the new ideas and energy that apprentices and graduates bring to SBI will carve out a bright future for the company.