A pioneering project is providing school children in the UK with mini apprenticeships to taste the world of engineering and to help reverse the decline of young people choosing careers in industry.
Engineering firm Nylacast continued its annual IntroNeering scheme, an initiative ran with year ten students in Leicester, England. It hopes that by reaching out to school students with an action-packed programme, the teenagers will be buzzing about engineering and more likely to opt for careers in industry.
The seven participating students recently completed a five-day programme at Nylacast World Headquarters which provided an introduction to all aspects of the polymer and engineering industry. This included an insight into health and safety, chemical engineering, mechanical maths, production, accounts, sales and marketing.
Ian Mallabone, HR Manager at Nylacast, said: “We launched IntroNeering with the aim of bridging the gap between school and industry, appealing to young minds and encouraging them to consider a career they might never have chosen otherwise. We know from our successful apprenticeship programme that young people often face challenges when making the transition from school to work. One of the benefits of IntroNeering is that it delivers work experience whilst placing Maths, Science and English into a working context.”
On completion of the IntroNeering project the students presented their learnings to members of the Nylacast team and showcased the model cranes they designed, machined and assembled using the knowledge gained during the week.
Deana White, Technical Trainer & HR Supervisor at Nylacast, said: “IntroNeering provides the opportunity to showcase apprenticeships as an alternative route to achieving the same recognised qualifications as full time College or University, with the added advantage of gaining valuable experience whist working within the role. Even though the IntroNeering scheme is focussed on Engineering, we also cover modules in Sales and Marketing, Finance and Production to show students there is a wide spectrum of apprenticeship roles available in industry, hopefully this will open their minds to a variety of careers.”
Nylacast, an engineering firm with over fifty years of operations actively encourages students to pursue careers in engineering and technology through its in-house training academy’s apprentices and partnerships with schools, colleges and universities. In February 2019, the award winning company partnered with the National Space Centre to support and launch their IGNITE scheme which is focused on developing future scientists and engineers.
