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In this episode, we share the real story of how a 4-day working week moved from concept to reality across multiple manufacturing sites. You’ll hear how we designed and trialled the shift with people-first thinking, data-driven decisions, and flexibility at the core. We cover everything from early union conversations to contract changes, phased rollouts, and how we managed customer expectations and KPIs.

Learn how we tackled fairness across roles and shifts, made overtime a tool—not a crutch—and what we’d do differently if starting again. If you're serious about sustainable change and curious how a 4-day week can actually work in complex, operational environments—this one's for you.

In this episode, we cover:

• How we designed trials, managed union concerns, and kept flexibility central
• The KPIs that mattered most: productivity, absence, and retention
• Balancing customer cover, Friday escalations, and shift fairness
• Lessons learned, what we’d change, and why it still works

Feel free to share this with the powers that be considering a four-day week.

Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298

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In this inspiring episode, Paul Stockhill, Managing Director of Agemaspark in Doncaster, shares insights from his remarkable 55-year journey in UK manufacturing. A passionate advocate for apprenticeships, Paul believes that developing young talent is the only sustainable answer to the sector’s growing skills crisis — and he’s proved it.

Every member of his senior management team started their career as an apprentice at Agma Spark — including those who joined him in a successful management buyout. From 3D metal printing for space stations and Mars rovers to nurturing the next generation through real-world work placements, Paul’s story is a blueprint for how legacy, innovation, and people development can power a business for decades.

🎙️ In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why apprenticeships are the backbone of Agemaspark’s success
• How the AMRC Training Centre's 38-week intensive program sets apprentices up for success
• The importance of communication skills in modern manufacturing
• Why Paul believes UTCs (University Technical Colleges) are key to solving the skills gap
• How Agemaspark’s first female engineering apprentice represents a new era for the business
• What it means to leave a legacy that’s bigger than one career

With 60,000 engineers projected to leave the industry by 2030, Paul's mission is clear: build businesses that last by investing in people who will carry them forward.

Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298

Send us a text

🎧 Jo Lloyd's Leadership Evolution at Expanded Metal 🎧

From administrative temp to Head of People at Expanded Metal, Jo Lloyd shares her inspiring 12-year journey of transforming leadership in manufacturing. In this episode, she dives into how the industry has shifted from command-and-control to a more people-first approach.

Key takeaways include:

🖐 Leadership is about guiding – no ego, just collaboration.
🖐 Emotional intelligence fuels better decisions and team energy.
🖐 Authentic leadership means being yourself, not fitting stereotypes.
🖐 Expanded Metal’s shift from hierarchy to collaboration.
🖐 COVID-19 as a catalyst for sustainable practices.
🖐 Hybrid thinking and cross-training employees in multiple roles.
🖐 Diversity in manufacturing means embracing diverse thoughts and approaches.
🖐 Community engagement with schools to change perceptions of manufacturing careers.
🖐 Challenges are fuel for progress, not barriers.
🖐 Leaders should be accessible, helping others rise instead of pulling up the ladder.

Hit play for a conversation that challenges traditional manufacturing leadership and champions a new era of inclusivity, collaboration, and emotional intelligence.

Please subscribe to the channel for more content! Theo James are a Manufacturing & Engineering Recruiter based in the North East, helping Manufacturing and Engineering firms grow across the UK. Please call us on 0191 5111 298