Caroline Gumble, chief operating officer of EEF

Caroline Gumble, chief operating officer of manufacturing employer’s organisation EEF; and Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, lead the line-up at the keynote Leeds Manufacturing Festival event taking place at UTC Leeds on Wednesday, 10 October.

The Festival, organised by Leeds Manufacturing Alliance, has already seen over 30 manufacturing employers from across the city sign up to host factory visits and talks in local schools about the range of opportunities and careers in manufacturing at present.

With a whole series of events taking place in early October, the Festival aims to raise the profile of the city’s manufacturing sector and open the eyes of parents, teachers and young people to opportunities that exist on their doorstep.

The keynote event for the Festival, which is being sponsored by Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership, RSM, Allied Irish Bank, EEF and The Works Recruitment, takes place in the main lecture theatre at UTC Leeds.

The new school opened in September 2016 and was set up with the support of employers across Leeds to equip young people with the skills and knowledge they need for careers in engineering and manufacturing.

A video featuring young people already working in manufacturing will be screened for the first time at the event. It sees them talking about their role and the companies they work for, why they chose to work in manufacturing and their ambitions for the future.

Councillor Judith Blake, leader of Leeds City Council, will talk about the continuing importance of manufacturing to the city of Leeds, which has one of the largest concentrations of manufacturing businesses and employment in the UK.

Caroline Gumble said, “I’m delighted that EEF are partners in this important initiative which showcases the opportunities available to young people within engineering and manufacturing. Attracting young people into our sector is vital as skill shortages are endemic in the sector and companies are becoming increasingly concerned about their ability to access the skills they need.”

Keep up to date with all the latest events relating to the Festival – some of which are already taking place – by visiting the Leeds Manufacturing Festival events page: https://leedsmanufacturingfestival.co.uk/events