For manufacturing and engineering employers in Leeds and West Yorkshire, there’s never been a better time to get involved with Leeds Manufacturing Festival. Going far beyond a showcase for the sector, the festival is a strategic opportunity to engage with the future workforce, raise your firm’s profile, and help tackle the sector’s growing skills gap, on your doorstep.
Employers who take part in the festival consistently report stronger connections with young people, local education providers and a boost in applications. The festival gives you direct access to a pool of enthusiastic young people and a way to build a pipeline of future employees who understand your business and values before they even apply.
Just three of the local businesses who are experiencing for themselves the benefits of being involved in the Leeds Manufacturing Festival this year are cutting tools maker MA Ford Europe, Leeds Welding Company and cremation and incineration products manufacturer Facultatieve Technologies.
Chris Wagstaff is manufacturing director at MA Ford Europe, which makes cutting tools for a raft of manufacturing sectors including aerospace, medical, military and automotive and employs a team of 26 people at its Leeds manufacturing base in Holbeck. The business joined the Leeds Manufacturing Festival this year for the first time as a sponsor and it has seen significant improvements in its ability to meet the ongoing challenges of replacing its older workforce, who are reaching retirement age, with new younger talent.
“Becoming a festival sponsor has been a game changer for us in terms of recruitment,” says Chris. “We took part in the apprenticeship fair and the careers panel at UTC Leeds and it’s sparked unprecedented interest in the business and the career opportunities we have on offer for young people. In the past we relied on the colleges and training organisations to help with recruitment and sift applications, but for us this proactive and direct approach of being able to talk in person with local young people who are already interest in working in manufacturing has been so much better.
“We held an open day on a Saturday and invited young people who had shown an interest at the festival event. From that we received nine applications for two apprenticeship roles and included an aptitude test in the recruitment process too. I think one of the most positive differences is that, thanks to the festival, we are now attracting exactly the right calibre of young people who are passionate about making things.
“We’re a very niche business really because we specialise in CNC tool and cutter grinding, so it’s important that the young people we take on are interested in this specific area of manufacturing and engineering as well as being candidates who we can train up in these skills on the factory floor. The festival has enabled us to select candidates with exactly the right interests and skills.”
Chris adds: “We’d like to recruit more women to join the MA Ford Europe team and with our involvement in the factory, and the direct connections with young people we are making, I’m now far more confident that we will be able to do that in the near future.”
Hayley Hodge, chief people officer at Hunslet-based cremation and incineration equipment producer Facultatieve Technologies, which is also a first-time supporter of the festival, says: “As an employer it can be difficult to show young people that you are there, and that you have all these great career opportunities on offer.
“Even though we are based very close to the UTC Leeds college, it wasn’t until we took part in the careers showcase at the Leeds Manufacturing Festival launch event that we were suddenly on the radar of all the students who were attending and we had huge amounts of interest from them.
"Hopefully we can go on to develop some of those relationships and that is the real value of the festival in forging lasting bonds and interest between manufacturing employers and young people.”
Richard Eaglen, managing director of Leeds Welding Company, which manufactures welded products for the agriculture, airport ground support equipment, mechanical handling, construction industries and beyond, says his firm’s long-term involvement with the festival, since its launch in 2018, has generated resoundingly positive results for his business.
“Working with the festival, and meeting the young people taking part, has turbo-charged our apprenticeship programme,” says Richard.
“We have gone from five or six students applying to be apprentices, to this year receiving more than 60 great quality applications - and that simply would not have happened without us being a part of the festival.”
What’s in it for employers?
Attracting new, younger talent into manufacturing is a challenge most businesses face, whether you are looking for apprentices, T-Level students, graduates, or entry-level employees. Leeds Manufacturing Festival’s success comes from connecting businesses directly with young people in Leeds who are actively exploring career paths in engineering and manufacturing.
The festival gives you as an employer the chance to highlight the real roles that are available within your company, across everything from engineering and production to design, logistics, marketing, and finance.
Opening your doors, through site visits, careers talks, or interactive festival events, enables you not just to inform young people but to inspire them too.
Raise your profile locally
Involvement in the festival gives your business visibility across local schools, colleges, the wider community, and among other manufacturers. It’s a chance to raise your brand awareness and show off the exciting work you do. Whether you’re a small family-run workshop or a global manufacturing operation, young people want to hear about your business and what you can offer them.
Take the next step
Getting involved is simple—and flexible. Whether you can host a factory tour, offer a student placement, take part in a panel event, or just share your story, there’s a way for every business to contribute. The festival team is here to support you at every step.
