Speaking at the Barclays Welsh Manufacturing event at
SPTS Technologies in Newport, Mr Cairns will say that the
“world leading skills and knowledge we have here in Wales
is envied the world over”. He will also call on Welsh
manufacturers of all sizes to seize the support available
from the UK Government to identify opportunities to sell
their products in global markets.
The manufacturing sector in Wales is made up of over
5,000 companies, employing around 150,000 people. And the
sector is growing with 22,000 more jobs in the sector in
Wales than in 2010.
The Secretary of State will take the opportunity to call
for closer collaboration between the sector and the two
governments in Wales to help address the challenges the
sector faces, including resourcing a skilled workforce
and the wider economic challenge of productivity.
He will say:
The close relationship between industry and government
stand only to benefit manufacturers in Wales. I want
Wales and the wider UK to be the best place in the
world to do business – and I want the UK Government and
Welsh Government to provide as much support as possible
for companies in achieving this aim.
With the fourth round of EU exit negotiations underway,
the UK Government is stepping up its engagement with
businesses across the UK to ensure the voices of British
businesses are heard and reflected throughout the exit
process.
Mr Cairns added:
Today’s event gives me another great opportunity to
hear about various businesses’ priorities for our EU
exit.
We are absolutely committed to achieving a deal which
works for every region in the UK which is why it is
vital that we continue to speak with businesses and
organisations from across the country to ensure their
views are fully represented as we move through the
negotiations.
Notes to editors:
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The UK Government has developed the Wales Export
Guide – a document that sets out the full range of
support available to Welsh businesses from the UK
Government and contains inspiring stories of
companies based in Wales that are successfully
exporting.
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You can download a copy of the guide here
