Supporting the See Inside Manufacturing campaign, designed by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills to encourage young people to pursue a career in the sector, Lockheed Martin UK opened its doors to local students from All Saints Academy and Hastingsbury Business and Enterprise College.
Eighteen scholars joined LMUK for an interactive manufacturing training day, giving hands on experience and highlighting the engineering career opportunities available in Bedfordshire.
Business Minister Mark Prisk said: “See Inside Manufacturing is about changing perceptions of modern manufacturing and showing young people, teachers and careers advisers that the industry offers interesting and rewarding job opportunities.
“I’m pleased that Lockheed Martin UK has signed up to help represent the aerospace and defence sector, and dispel outdated perceptions of manufacturing.”
LMUK graduates took the students on a tour of the company’s local facilities, highlighting the Prototype Model Shop, the Warrior Capability Sustainment Programme and the production workshops. In this way, students experienced first-hand the manufacturing facilities and the projects that are currently under way.
The company also hosted an engineering exercise: students designed and built a small vehicle which must support an egg while being towed over rough terrain. The winning team, from Hastingsbury Business and Enterprise College, was awarded with National Book Tokens by Steve Burnage, head of design at LMUK, Ampthill.
Stephen Ball, chief executive of Lockheed Martin UK, said: “We are very excited to be participating in this year’s campaign, to help excite and educate young people on the manufacturing opportunities that exist all over the UK. We hope the scale and the significance of the projects we run at our Ampthill site inspired local students and illustrated the fascinating and important work that takes place in the industry.”
Lockheed Martin’s Ampthill site works on major programmes spanning the defence, aerospace and civil sectors. About 650 people are employed at the facility.
