A GROUP of manufacturing employers will be flying the flag for the sector at next week's Leeds Apprenticeship Recruitment Fair, taking place on Monday 6/2/23 at the First Direct Arena in Leeds.
Thousands of school and college students are expected to attend the event, the biggest of its kind in the North of England, to meet employers face-to-face and find out more about apprenticeship opportunities.
Members of Leeds Manufacturing Alliance – including MPM, AW Hainsworth, Kirkstall Precision Engineering. Greyhound Box, Sound Leisure, LBBC, OPM Labels & Packaging, E3 Recruitment and Bensons Control Panels – will be exhibiting together on the Leeds Manufacturing Festival exhibition stand.
Leeds manufacturers Brandon Medical, Leeds Welding Company, Pland Stainless and Sulzer will also be exhibiting, ensuring the sector has strong representation at the recruitment fair, organised by Leeds City Council’s employment and skills team.
Ben Wilson, managing director of MPM and chair of Leeds Manufacturing Alliance said: “It’s fantastic to have such a broad range of manufacturing employers represented at the event. It highlights the range of opportunities that careers in manufacturing present.
MPM manufactures a range of glass reinforced plastic mouldings for the automotive, utilities, leisure and retail
sectors, involving a combination of technical and practical ‘hands on’ skills.
Ben added: “Careers in manufacturing offer great opportunities in technical, professional and managerial roles but it’s vital to the future of our sector that young people joining the workforce are equipped with those practical ‘hands-on’ skills as well.”
Kirkstall Precision Engineering, which manufactures medical devices, recruited four new apprentices following involvement with Leeds Manufacturing Festival and last year’s apprenticeship recruitment fair.
Managing director Iqbal Bahia, who will be speaking at one of the employer panels taking place during next week’s event, said: “It was the first time for the team at last year’s apprenticeship fair and it was fantastic.
“The interaction with potential candidates and, in some cases their parents, as well as Leeds City College and the UTC Leeds was great.
“As a result, four new apprentices started with us in September and we’re now ready to start looking at future recruitment.”
The 2023 Leeds Manufacturing Festival is sponsored by Leeds City College, E3 Recruitment, Leeds City Council, Next Gen Makers, Greyhound Box, Leeds Welding Company, MPM and Sound Leisure.
