Thirty young prodigies have been named as the rising stars of the manufacturing sector by ‘Make it in Great Britain’.
Business Minister Mark Prisk named the stars, who were winners of the Make it in Great Britain ’30 under 30’ competition, in a ceremony on Tuesday.
The 30 winners come from a variety of manufacturing sub-sectors and were selected by a panel of expert judges. The criteria for selection included being under 30-years of age and showing exceptional professional performance but also demonstrated enthusiasm and ambition, for themselves and their organisations.
The organisations now represented by the ‘30 under 30’ team include SMEs as well as large companies. A few examples are: BAE Systems, Bentley Motors, David Nieper, GlaxoSmithKline, Pendennis Shipyard, PEME Process Control, The Paper Cup Company and Vantage Power.
The selected stars will now act as ambassadors for manufacturing and engineering in the UK – challenging public opinion of the sector.
Business Minister Mark Prisk said they would help highlight the wide range of career opportunities in the manufacturing sector. “We need more talented, enthusiastic people to fill these roles, and we hope that the 30 Under 30 will inspire the next generation to consider a career in manufacturing” he commented.
Paul Jackson, CEO of Engineering UK, was among the ’30 under 30’ judges. Following the naming ceremony he said that while he is always impressed at the talent within the UK manufacturing and engineering sector, there is an urgent need for more public facing ambassadors who can inspire the next generation.
“We need to be encouraging more motivated, ambitious young people to consider careers in manufacturing to ensure that the industry continues to grow,” observed Mr Jackson. “The 30 Under 30 finalists are all enjoying successful careers, and I believe that they will inspire other young people to follow in their footsteps.”
Successful entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den presenter Deborah Meaden is also backing the Make it in Great Britain campaign, and is particularly supportive of the 30 under 30 initiative. She said yesterday that she looked forward to working alongside the young stars and helping them to inspire a new influx of talent into the manufacturing industry, addressing critical skills gaps.
Make it in Great in Great Britain is also represented by a more experienced panel of ‘Industry Champions’ from 30 leading manufacutring companies in the UK. Industry Champions include: Emma Bridgewater of ceramics manufacturer Emma Bridgewater Ltd, Will Butler-Adams of Brompton Bicycles, Steve Eastham of Tata Global Beverages and Kate Edwards of J8 Precision.
Other initiatives being planned by Make it in Great Britain include a manufacturing and engineering exhibition at the Science Museum in London. This exhibition will run from 24 July until 9 September, hooking onto the influx of visitors to London for the Olympic Games.
To find out more about Make it in Great Britain, please visit the Make it in Great Britain website.
