The region’s manufacturers are being urged to join with West Yorkshire Manufacturing Services (WYMS) and partners to showcase modern manufacturing and encourage young people into the sector.
Following a successful National Manufacturing Day in 2023, West Yorkshire Manufacturing Services, along with partners Make UK, Calderdale College and a wide variety of manufacturers, will again be opening their doors in Brighouse to showcase the very best of manufacturing in West Yorkshire.
In 2023, school pupils who visited the event at WYMS got to experience a broad range of hands-on, interactive activities and had discussions with local manufacturers. The activities included using robots, experiencing VR, racing cars on the F1 in Schools track, building electronics boards, landing a flight simulator and watching demonstrations in The Engineering Centre at Calderdale College, in addition to speaking to apprentices and learning about careers within manufacturing.
Local student Finley Hodgson who attended the event in 2023 was asked what he enjoyed about the day & why students should attend in 2024, “I enjoyed meeting local employers, learning about F1 in schools and how things work. I think other students would really enjoy the event as all of my classmates enjoyed seeing and using the products made and used in the local area. A good example was when we learnt and experimented with sound systems created for big events such as the American Super Bowl made by Calrec in Hebden Bridge”.
In 2024 the organisers are aiming to welcome more manufacturers and schools as there is an urgent need to encourage more young people into the sector. This has been made possible with, Huddersfield-based Eastwood Insurance Brokers becoming the headline sponsor for 2024.
Tony Crabtree, Director at Eastwood Insurance Brokers said, “Our location in the heart of West Yorkshire places manufacturing companies as the bedrock of our business. Having heard first-hand from Beth Ward at WYMS about the principles behind National Manufacturing Day, the benefits to those companies taking part and the attracting of young people into the manufacturing sector, this is an event we are delighted to support as headline sponsor”.
Explaining why WYMS get involved in the day, Beth Ward, Head of Marketing & Communications said “West Yorkshire is home to an abundance of ambitious and sector leading manufacturing companies contributing £7 billion to the regional economy and employing over 110,000 people. However, there is a shortage of young people entering the sector and it is up to everyone in the sector to use days such as National Manufacturing Day to showcase just how dynamic, creative and innovative modern-day manufacturing is & to highlight the variety of jobs that exist within this sector”.
