Over 2,000 Bradford students brought together to discover the world of manufacturing

For over 5 years Bradford Manufacturing Weeks has brought Yorkshire manufacturers and schools together through a series of events to introduce careers in manufacturing to young people throughout the district. Launched by the Bradford Chamber of Commerce in 2017, E3 Recruitment has been a proud sponsor of the initiative which has created more than 15,000 manufacturing experiences for the district’s 14–18-year-old students by delivering two weeks of employer-led manufacturing activities into Bradford’s schools and colleges.

Running from the 3rd – 14th of October, this year’s Bradford Manufacturing weeks provided huge value for students of the Bradford district. Almost 2,000 students aged between 14 – 18 were able to meet Bradford’s top manufacturers, such as Thorite, Powell UK, BorgWarner, and Mansfield Pollard.

Sarim Akhtar, a student from Bradford Forster Academy, visited Mansfield Pollard who hosted a practical workshop, showcasing how to make soundproof containers before taking a site tour. Sarim commented, “I thought manufacturing was just about building metal things but we were shown how they make the systems that heat up and cool down places like Ikea! And we got the chance to have a go at making our own soundproofing box.

“It was so much fun and now I’ve visited, I’d really love to do my work experience there and find out more about being an apprentice. It’s so different to what I thought.”

Every year, the weeks reaches more than 17,000 students. Since it was first started in 2017 by the Bradford Chamber of Commerce, the initiative has been creating pathways for young people in employment. This is done through Students attending insightful site tours, ‘meet the manufacturer’ and ‘meet the apprentice’ sessions, skills and attitude workshops, live demonstrations, and practical events.

Let’s take a look at the 2023 report for BMW compiled by The Opportunity Centre:

-965 students attended in-school talks.

-332 students took part in various panels.

-305 students got involved in a UN sustainability-focused competition.

Overall, the report found that 100% of schools who participated in the weeks felt pupils benefited from being involved. This will help towards closing the skills gap in manufacturing, as we look toward introducing and showcasing the various roles in the sector to young people.

Chair and founder of Bradford Manufacturing Weeks Nick Garthwaite commented: “Once again the West & North Yorkshire Chamber, its manufacturing partners and sponsors have come together to deliver a two-week careers initiative which is proving invaluable to local schools and to support the pipeline of talent for our district’s employers.

“As our thoughts now turn towards planning the 2023 initiative, we would love to hear from even more local manufacturers about what they can offer to help us create the events, the pathways and the excitement which will inspire the next generation of Bradford manufacturers.”

Being specialist recruiters for manufacturing and engineering, we know the importance of introducing young people to careers in these sectors. This is why we support initiatives like Bradford Manufacturing Weeks. If you would like to find out how your organisation can get involved with next year’s weeks, please get in touch with our marketing team at marketing@e3recruitment.com or call on 01484 645 269.