The pupils were invited to Bentley’s Crewe headquarters to experience some of the skills and craftsmanship necessary in the creation of the world’s finest motor cars. The event formed part of a combined government-industry initiative, ‘See Inside Manufacturing’, which aims to inspire and encourage young people to consider careers in manufacturing, especially within the automotive sector.
The children that attended were able to stitch a steering wheel, assemble a Bentley V8 engine rocker shaft, and have a go at CAD drawing. As well as this, the young students were able to clay model an alloy wheel in exactly the same fashion as Bentley’s own design team. They were then given a tour of the facilities where they were able to see how the cars are created firsthand.
Business Secretary Vince Cable voiced his concern that too many young people saw manufacturing as a career that had very little attraction, and highlighted the results of a poll last week that showed only one out of ten children aged 11 to 14 thought that engineering was an important job.
Mr Cable commented: “We are determined to shake up old fashioned views of manufacturing. Through the Government’s See Inside Manufacturing campaign and Bentley’s event at Crewe, we will give young people the chance to see the exciting face of modern manufacturing which is highly skilled, high tech and highly paid.”
Christine Gaskell, Member of the Board for Personnel said: “The diversity of job opportunities is incredible and the support available to young people considering this option is now significant. The UK is home to most of the world’s high luxury car manufacturers as the skill levels we demand are unmatched. We want to ensure those skills are passed on to a new generation and hope initiatives such as “See Inside” will help inspire the young people we will need.”
