Academy Schools Reinvent Manufacturing ( Published: 14/10/2015)

As part of Reinventing Manufacturing, a ‘Business in the Community’ initiative, experts from Duo UK, Interface, and Siemens worked with Alliance Manchester Business School and the two schools.

The project was developed after statistics from The Engineering Report 2015 showed engineering employers have the potential to generate an additional £27 billion per year from 2022 into the UK economy – the equivalent to the cost of building 1,800 secondary schools or 110 new hospitals.

The pupils were placed in mixed groups and presented with a concept, which they needed to develop into a product and consider all stages of the business process.

The two winning groups spent time working with the help of the other groups to improve their presentations, before presenting their ideas at Manchester Business School to a panel of judges made up of industry experts and business leaders.

Industry experts from Duo UK, Interface and Siemens supported the students in their project teams during the event and heard from some of the University’s widening participation fellows who spoke of their careers in engineering.

Commenting on the project, Duo UK Brand Director Zoe Brimelow said:

As a manufacturer ourselves, we’re constantly addressing the widening skills gap and searching to find individuals with the attitude and talent we need to strengthen our team and continue to grow our business which is why we take a proactive approach to inspire young talent.

Russell Miller, Director of Sponsorship and Business Relations at Alliance Manchester Business School, added:

Choosing a career option and selecting the correct education path is a huge decision to make – having an opportunity to explore the different options available is crucial in establishing what will result in a rewarding career for many years to come.

Miss Bird, STEM coordinator, concluded:

The development of world-class talent in STEM is critical, so fostering an open and diverse scientific community that draws from an array of unique experiences and viewpoints is a necessary step to realising this goal. We are dedicated to promoting careers in Science and Engineering to our students, as this is an area in which women are currently underrepresented.