More than 200 school pupils across Leeds and Bradford are signed up for three of the most popular events in the local manufacturing calendar.
Bradford Manufacturing Live, Apprentices Live and Leeds Manufacturing Festival Live are three cornerstone events in Bradford Manufacturing Weeks (7-18 October) and Leeds Manufacturing Festival (throughout October) which give young people the chance to speak directly to employers and current apprentices.
The ‘Live’ events are co-ordinated for Bradford Manufacturing Weeks and Leeds Manufacturing Festival by Leeds-based agency The Works Recruitment and chaired by the company’s founder Craig Burton who believes they are crucial initiatives which engage young people and shed more light on career opportunities in manufacturing.
Apprentices Live is a new addition to the Bradford Manufacturing Weeks calendar. Held on Thursday 10 October at the Margaret Macmillan Tower in Bradford, a panel of six apprentices from Solenis, Power UK, Christeyns, Produmax, Ex Pressed Panels and Guyson International will answer questions posed live by an audience of 100 local students aged 14-17. Bradford Manufacturing Live runs for its second year and offers local pupils the chance to question a panel of employers from Keighley Laboratories, Carnaud Metalbox, Solenis and Melrose Interiors. It will be hosted at Keighley College on Tuesday 15 October.
Leeds Manufacturing Festival Live will be held at Leeds UTC on Friday 4 October where industry leaders and young people working in manufacturing will speak candidly and answer questions from Leeds school pupils, with hundreds more joining the event via a live stream on Twitter.
Craig Burton who last year played a pivotal part in the creation of Bradford and Leeds Manufacturing Festival Live and who this year will chair all three events, said: “These sessions bring together students from secondary schools across Leeds and Bradford to meet and question representatives from two of the north’s leading manufacturing sectors.
“We’re really excited about the introduction of Apprentices Live as this is a new event and one which we feel will really connect with students who will hear directly from their peers about how apprenticeships work, what the benefits are and their actual experiences of working in the manufacturing sector. It will be powerful, relevant and invaluable.”
Bradford Manufacturing Weeks and Leeds Manufacturing Festival are led by West & North Yorkshire Chamber and delivered in partnership with Bradford-based school and career specialists Aspire-igen. Bradford Manufacturing Weeks has primary sponsorship from Barclays and is backed with further sponsorship from E3 Recruitment, Gordons LLP, Naylor Wintersgill, Bradford University and global training provider Dale Carnegie. Leeds Manufacturing Festival which is co-ordinated by the Chamber is sponsored by RSM, The Works Recruitment, Womble Bond Dickinson and Leeds City College. Both initiatives offer school pupils the chance to meet, visit and speak with local manufacturing employers through tours, school visits, work placements and careers events.
Bradford Manufacturing Weeks 2019 already has support from some of Bradford’s major manufacturers including Airedale International, Produmax, Mansfield Pollard and Advanced Actuators. It complements Leeds Manufacturing Festival which is co-ordinated by Leeds Chamber of Commerce and Leeds Manufacturing Alliance with support from many of Leeds’s manufacturers including electronics manufacturer Daletech, medical lighting specialist Brandon Medical, Sound Leisure and glass reinforced plastic moulds producer MPM.
