Students from Leeds City College school of engineering were given the opportunity to take a look round Leeds manufacturing firms on National Manufacturing Day (25/9/25) – just a fortnight into their studies.
Clayton Stott, head of the school of engineering said: “It provided a great early learning opportunity, enabling students to see for themselves what working in modern manufacturing is all about, meet people working in the sector and find out more about the careers on offer.”
Team members at packaging manufacturer Greyhound Box gave students a full factory tour, enabling them to see the full production process, from design to manufacture, with a focus on how workflows are designed to maximise efficiency and throughput.
The company provides a bespoke, fast turnaround service for customers in diverse sectors industries from food, furniture, engineering, textiles and beauty products.
Managing director Louise O’Brien said: “We have a CAD design area where they can see firsthand how the boxes are designed to suit different product requirements, how concepts are developed, and samples are made up.”
Students also got to see the warehousing side of the business, use of bar code scanning and the planning of vehicles ready for despatch, together with an overview of office functions including accounting, purchasing and sales.
“Our company has a holistic approach to business, so we are very keen on teamwork, making sure the whole company works together, important lessons for anyone thinking about a career in manufacturing.”
Organised by Make UK and supported by hundreds of manufacturing and engineering companies across the UK, National Manufacturing Day is a celebration of the sector and a showcase for the careers and opportunities working in the sector presents.
It gives students the chance to meet and speak to people of all ages working in the sector, understand the wide range of job roles available and the diversity of manufacturing.
The day also saw the launch of Make UK’s brand-new Future Makers Group. Made up regional winners of Make UK’s annual apprentice awards, including Ethan Ridge from Leeds Welding Company, the new group aims to put the voices of young manufacturers at the heart of the debate on future skills and recruitment in the sector.
“At a time when UK manufacturing faces 46,000 vacancies, attracting and retaining the next generation of talent has never been more important,” said Kerri-Anne Mruk, Make UK’s regional membership director.
“The Future Makers Group is an inspiring initiative that ensures young people have a direct voice in shaping the future of our sector. By listening to their experiences and ideas, we can build the framework needed to tackle skills shortages and create meaningful careers in manufacturing.”
