The November Manufacturing Leaders forum will tackle the manufacturing industry's ‘people challenges’ and provide some practical advice and routes to skills salvation.

We are also delighted to announce that Sir Clive Woodward will be joining us on behalf of Manufacturing Leaders Club sponsor O2 and to give a keynote presentation. Sir Clive is renowned for his development of talent and building up great teams, a skill every bit as relevant to manufacturing businesses as it is to sport.

Bob Gibbon, managing director at the National Skills Academy for Manufacturing will explain how the Academy's work is helping to improve productivity, competitiveness, and profitability. Also on the platform will be Power Panels chairman, David Fox, winner of the Factory of the Year and the Skills Development award at the Best Factory Awards 2008.

If you’re responsible for recruiting and leading high performance teams, this is a rare opportunity to hear from people who know just what’s needed to become world class.

And as the Manufacturing Leaders Club begins to look ahead to the 2009 programme, we will be asking for your ideas and input. A mixture of networking opportunities including breakfast briefings, presentation-led lunches and dinners, an annual evening lecture and the more familiar morning seminars on strategic matters are on the drawing board. We will be inviting your own ideas on formats that would suit you and subjects that concern you.