Bentley Motors today showed the diversity of career paths on offer in the automotive manufacturing sector, as part of a government-industry initiative, ‘See Inside Manufacturing’.
Children from nearby schools were invited to the company’s Crewe headquarters to experience some of the skills and craftsmanship involved in the manufacture of Bentley’s vehicles as part of the initiative to inspire young people and encourage them to consider careers in manufacturing, particularly automotive.
Business Secretary, Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, said, “For too many young people the word manufacturing is a turn off. 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. Through government’s ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ campaign and Bentley’s event at Crewe, we will give young people the chance to see the exciting face of modern manufacturing which is highly skilled, high tech and highly paid.”
110 pupils aged between 10 and 15 tried their hands at different skills and five ‘Have a Go’ areas were created, with activities including stitching a steering wheel, assembling a Bentley V8 engine rocker shaft, CAD drawing and clay modeling an alloy wheel in the same fashion as Bentley’s own design team.
Speaking about the event, Member of the Board for Personnel, Christine Gaskell said, “The automotive sector is a fantastic industry in which to pursue a career. The diversity of job opportunities is incredible and the support available to young people considering this option is now significant. The UK is home to most of the world’s high luxury car manufacturers as the skill levels we demand are unmatched. We want to ensure those skills are passed on to a new generation and hope initiatives such as ‘See Inside’ will help inspire the young people we will need.”
View all the latest photos from ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ events by clicking through the slideshow below.