This year saw the launch of the first ever National Manufacturing Day and with so many students interested in STEM subjects and potential careers in engineering and manufacturing we knew we had to get involved.
NMD offers the opportunity to visit local sites and experience what modern day manufacturing looks like. Our students were able to tour factories, meet the teams and hear first-hand what inspired them to join a career in manufacturing. From writing enquiry emails to ask local companies about taking part, to embracing everything on offer on the day, our students fully engaged with the whole process.
We started the day at Aldermans Tooling in Plympton where local MP Gary Streeter was also in attendance. We had spent some time prior to visiting preparing for what might be involved, so the students were confident in introducing themselves to everyone there, having a go at the augmented reality welding and the different construction tasks, and talking politics and careers with both press and the politician.
We enjoyed a tour of the factory which was a loud and busy environment with a lot going on: again, our students coped brilliantly – asking questions and immersing themselves in the manufacturing processes being demonstrated.
After thanking Aldermans for such an insightful event we headed to AIS Ltd in Plymouth for the afternoon. Here we learnt about the different stages of the manufacturing process and the potential career routes available before again enjoying a tour of the factory.
It was a very different experience to the morning and we were invited to have a go at using the spray booth to paint one of the models being constructed for the leisure industry. Again, despite the stresses of such a potentially overwhelming environment our students were completely engaged – asking questions, having a go at the spray paint task and exploring the follow-up opportunities available.
With the right preparation, it’s great to see these opportunities being explored by our students as they start to visualise themselves in different working environments, and we look forward to building on this with work experience within the manufacturing sector in the future.
