A MAJOR Darwen employer has backed a ‘very positive’ Government drive to support manufacturing excellence in the region.

But Crown Paints said more needed to be done to encourage children to take up a career in the sector.

The decorative coatings company based in the town spoke in response to Business Secretary Vince Cable’s new initiative ‘Made By Britain’.

Operations director Mike Polkinghorn said leading firms in the sector should be encouraging the next generation into manufacturing careers.

Mr Cable addressed East Lancashire business leaders last week where he vowed to reverse the ‘painful’ decline and said there was ‘reputation and potential for growth’ in the area.

The Made By Britain scheme encourages MPs to find shining examples of manufacturing excellence in their constituencies.

It is hoped the move will help the Government ‘rebalance’ the economy away from a reliance on services.

Crown Paints employees more than 1,400 people. Mr Polkinghorn said: “For too long manufacturing has lacked support and vision from politicians, resulting in a decline in part of the sector.

“However, the rhetoric and actions of Vince Cable are very positive. Britain remains a powerhouse of manufacturing and we need to ensure we highlight and celebrate that.

“At the same time, we should be talking to schoolchildren about how rewarding careers in the sector can be and supporting businesses that want to create apprenticeships. All this will help to ensure that the UK remains brilliant at making things.”

During his visit, Mr Cable visited aerospace firm Aircelle in Burnley for a tour of the plant and mentioned the likes of BAE Systems, Nelson-based Kirk Environmental and AMS Neve in Burnley as shining examples of modern-day advanced manufacturers.