Sorec was established in 2019 after successfully bidding for a Provincial Growth Fund grant of $500,000.
Spearheaded by Farra Engineering chief executive Gareth Evans, Sorec has the objectives of improving resilience and growing the manufacturing engineering sector through attracting more apprentices, supporting business transformation and promoting regional capability.
Former Sorec board member and United Machinists chief executive Sarah Ramsay said Sorec’s greatest achievements had been successfully facilitating more than $7 million in business capability grants across 2019 and 2020, and establishing the Sorec Academy, which now operates in 21 schools and 60 businesses across Otago and Southland.
In 2022 Sorec hosted the inaugural Regional Engineering Summit, bringing together more than 160 Otago and Southland industry delegates, international guests Leonardo Helicopters, government departments, tertiary institutions and the Minister for Regional Economic Development.
"Industry made it clear that they’d like more access to government programmes, professional development and collaboration opportunities," Ms Ramsay said.
"However it was an enormous undertaking for the board who voluntarily co-ordinated it. We realised in order to facilitate more network opportunities and advocate on a national level effectively, that we needed dedicated budget and operational capacity long term," she said.
Under the new arrangement James Bracewell will remain the face of Sorec under the new position of network manager, and the academy programme will continue unaffected.
Administrative functions such as communications, co-ordinating training, events and advocacy will be absorbed by Business South.
Business South chief executive Mike Collins said the partnership with Business South aligned with its purpose, leveraged its national network and provided regional and local expertise to support the sector.
"It’s an exciting new partnership, plays to our strengths and will build on the fantastic platform Sorec have established to date."
The first items on the agenda were to form an engineering industry advisory group, develop a programme of industry focused training and begin bi-monthly network events, he said.
Another engineering summit will be held in March 2024.
Mr Evans, the former chairman of Sorec, has been co-opted to the Business South board for an interim period of 12 months, after which the industry advisory group will put forward a nominated board representative.
Mrs Ramsay will continue to be involved in the Sorec advisory group and has also been appointed to the Advanced Manufacturing Aotearoa Council.
