Young people across the UK will get a ‘behind the scenes’ glimpse of what it’s like to work in one of industry’s most dynamic and vibrant sectors this month, as automotive companies open their doors to students and graduates.
From today, the automotive industry, which is pioneering government’s ‘See Inside Manufacturing‘ initiative, will deliver a national programme of activities throughout October to inspire the next generation of budding engineers.
The initiative, which was launched in March by Business Secretary, Vince Cable, aims to challenge perceptions that the UK has an outdated manufacturing sector and encourage more young people to take up Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects, in order to boost the UK’s skills base.
Speaking on behalf of the automotive sector, Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive, said, “The scope and scale of the UK’s automotive sector presents fantastic career and skills opportunities for young people. More than 700,000 people are employed across design, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, aftermarket and retail sectors and UK engineers and executives are increasingly filling top jobs around the world. Despite challenging economic conditions, October’s activities demonstrate the opportunities available and industry’s commitment to attracting the brightest and best talent to the sector.”
In total, over 20 automotive companies across the UK, including England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, will open their doors to graduates and school children, offering a range of hands-on activities, designed to highlight the career opportunities within one of the UK’s most diverse industries.
“For too many young people the word manufacturing is a turn off,” said Business Secretary, Vince Cable. “A worrying poll out last week found that only one out of ten children aged 11 to 14 thought that engineering was an important job and even ranked being a politician as a better choice of career! We are determined to shake up old fashioned views of manufacturing and through government’s ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ campaign and the overwhelming support from the automotive industry, we will give young people the chance to see the exciting face of modern manufacturing, which is highly skilled, high tech and highly paid.”
Click through to visit the ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ website hub.
Find out the activities that automotive companies, including Aston Martin, Bentley, Ford, GKN Driveline, Jaguar Land Rover, Leyland Trucks, Millbrook, MINI and Nissan are staging in October as part of the ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ initiative.
View all the latest photos from ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ events by clicking through the slideshow below.
