Run by The Manufacturing Institute, the North West Championship Make It heats were aimed at changing young peoples’ views of the sector.
Running alongside the Institute’s regular series of Make It challenges, which are sponsored by a range of manufacturing companies, a total of 1,200 13 and 14-year-olds took part in hands-on events in Merseyside, Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire, Greater Manchester and Abu Dhabi.
Over 18 months, 23 different challenges involved 167 schools and tasked young people with projects ranging from designing a new aircraft to coming up with a new breakfast cereal.
The teenagers formed their own mini-manufacturing companies, and worked with a range of industry experts and advocates from businesses large and small. In total, 63% of the young people taking part said they would consider a career in manufacturing.
Aimee McGloine, who runs the Make It Challenges for the Manchester-based Institute, said: “We’re delighted that our challenges have had such a big impact on teenagers who had never previously thought that manufacturing might be the route for them. They worked hard, had fun and really enjoyed competing against other schools. The North West Championships really captured the imagination of our students.”
After five individual Championship heats the Grand Final winners were Tauheedul Islam Girls High School in Blackburn with runners up St Thomas More RC High School in Crewe. The winners of the traditional Make It Challenge Grand Final were Penwortham Girl’s School, Preston.
Manufacturing applications engineer John Grimshaw, who heaped out as a ‘dragon’ at the NW Championships Grand Final said: “In two years I’ll be looking for apprentices and I was looking around and thinking ‘who is the best here?’ I could easily have employed 80% of them. I would encourage anyone employed in manufacturing to come and take part in a Make It Challenge. You’ll feel like the stupidest person in the room - but you’ll love it."
Lore Emerson, marketing manager at CoolKit, added: "Working closely with the students is a rewarding expertise which I felt privileged to be a part of. As a manufacturing employer we understand the requirements to look after and educate the future generation.”
The Manufacturing Institute is looking for partners from manufacturing companies of all sizes.
If you would like to sponsor a Make It Challenge - or run your own event - contact Aimee McGloin on 0161 875 2525 or email her at aimee.mcgloin@manufacturinginstitute.co.uk.
