Nissan last week opened its doors to give schoolchildren a unique insight into the world of advanced manufacturing and engineering.
The UK’s biggest car producer is staging special events at its record-breaking plant in Sunderland and at its European Technical Centre in Cranfield as part of the Government’s ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ initiative.
This coordinated programme of events across the UK’s car industry is aimed at boosting the image of UK manufacturing and encouraging more young people to take up Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) subjects.
Over two weeks at Nissan Sunderland Plant, 2,500 11-13 year-old students are taking part in the fourth Nissan Schools’ Engineering Discovery Event, where they learn about modern car manufacturing, watch the Qashqai, Juke and Note being made on the production line, take part in educational games, and find out how engineers have supported and improved the manufacturing process at the plant over its rich 25-year history.
The event, which started on October 10, is targeted at children before they choose their GCSE subjects. It also includes a section on future production at the company’s new advanced lithium-ion battery plant, and the 100% electric Nissan LEAF.
Staff at Nissan’s European Technical Centre (NTCE) in Cranfield, Bedfordshire held a further ‘See Inside Manufacturing’ event last week, where pupils from the surrounding area came to learn about design engineering and development. The children also met recent recruits who shared their experiences about becoming engineers.