Business Secretary Vince Cable today presented the 2012 McLaren Manufacturing Challenge trophy to this year’s winning school.
The McLaren Manufacturing Challenge is an annual competition that forms part of the government’s ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ initiative, designed to showcase the range of fantastic career opportunities available and raise the profile of modern manufacturing industries.
Schools across the country were challenged to come up with inventive designs for model cars that, just as in Formula 1, must comply with strict regulations, but be as fast as possible.
Finalist teams were invited to spend an afternoon at the McLaren Technology Centre, where they got to see first-hand how a Formula 1 team operates and how McLaren designs its world-leading super cars.
The 2012 winning team, Reed’s School, was presented their trophy by the Business Secretary and Ron Dennis CBE, Executive Chairman of McLaren Group.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said, “Manufacturing is a highly-creative industry that offers rewarding and well paid careers. Working closely with leading businesses like McLaren through the ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ programme, we are demonstrating to young people first-hand what jobs in manufacturing and engineering are like today.”
Ron Dennis CBE said, “As a country we are blessed with intelligent and creative young people who are capable of becoming world leaders in whichever field they choose. Sadly, in the past, too few have chosen engineering or manufacturing. That’s why we run the McLaren Manufacturing Challenge and support the government’s efforts to improve the image of industry.
“Britain has produced some of the world’s most inspirational engineers, who took on enormous challenges and found ways to do things better. People like Stephenson, Brunel and Whittle have always inspired me and it’s about time we started to inspire the next generation.”
