Manufacturing employers across the region opened their doors to school and college students on National Manufacturing Day, giving young people first-hand experience of the range of careers in modern manufacturing.

In Leeds, more than 70 learners from Leeds City College school of engineering took part in workplace visits to celebrate the day which is supported by manufacturing employers' organisation Make UK and its members.

Matt Webley, the college’s pastoral lead took advantage of the offer from Leeds Manufacturing Alliance members and growth service clients Imageco, Greyhound Box, MPM, Leeds Welding Company and Bensons Panels to take students on factory tours.

The visits were designed to give them exposure to commercial manufacturing environments and help better understand the wide range of roles and opportunities careers in the sector present.

Both Imageco and Greyhound Box are based at Beza Road in Huslet, so they partnered up for the day to give students a first-hand insight into what the manufacturing sector has to offer.

Imageco is one of the UK’s leading wide-format print and signage producers, delivering high quality bespoke designs, exhibitions and point of sale displays. Like packaging manufacturer Greyhound Box, the company has a strong focus on sustainability.

Featuring factory tours and an expert line up of talks from senior members of the leadership teams at both companies, the partnership aimed to inspire the next generation of manufacturers.

“It was great to see how interested and ambitious the students were and hopefully they left Greyhound Box considering a bright future in manufacturing.” 

Nathan Swinson-Bullough, Managing Director at Imageco said: “I told them my personal story from Council Estate kid blasting round on a Striker to the face of a global award-winning graphics and manufacturing company.

“My advice to them is work hard at what you do, and you never know where you might end up.”