A joint government-industry initiative to encourage young people to consider a career in manufacturing moved into the fast lane when McLaren roared into Westminster on Tuesday. The McLaren Manufacturing Challenge forms part of the See Inside Manufacturing (SIM) campaign and aims to encourage students to think about engineering in a practical, hands-on sense by designing a motor-less vehicle that, just as in Formula 1, must comply with strict regulations. The cars can be as complicated and as ingenious as the teams like, but the challenge is simple – to cover a 10 metre track as quickly as possible, but without using any form of motor.
Three London schools took part in a showcase of their work at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, before being invited to compete in the grand final with schools from Woking at the McLaren Technology Centre on 8th November. Business Secretary, Vince Cable, and Operations Director of McLaren Automotive, Alan Foster, presided over the event and spoke to the students about the fulfilling opportunities available to them in the manufacturing and engineering sectors.
Speaking about the event, Business Secretary Vince Cable said, “See Inside Manufacturing plays an important part in challenging outdated perceptions of industry. The manufacturing sector is crucial to building a stronger economy – supporting two and a half million jobs and contributing almost £140 billion a year to the UK.
“Working with business I want to inspire young people to see just how dynamic the industry is. Events like this will put them in pole position to get involved in these rewarding careers.”
Alan Foster, Operations Director at McLaren Automotive, said, “Nearly everything that we use in our lives today is born out of engineering. The UK has a proud heritage in this field and boasts some of the best engineers and manufacturing facilities in the world. However, there is still an outdated perception amongst young people that it is an ‘oily-rag’ industry and doesn’t represent an exciting career choice. You only need ask the hundreds of talented engineers working on Jenson Button’s Formula 1 car or the new McLaren P1 super car to know that nothing could be further from the truth.
“This is the third year we’ve run the McLaren Manufacturing Challenge and welcomed students into to see our facilities. We’re continually amazed by the level of ingenuity shown in the vehicles they design and hope that it’s an experience that inspires them to go on and be the McLaren engineers of the future.”
SIM involves businesses opening their doors to young people and teachers, allowing them a first-hand view of modern manufacturing and the exciting jobs available.
Before giving the green light to start the McLaren Manufacturing Challenge, Dr Cable heard what other sectors were doing to support SIM. The Business Secretary met with representatives from Airbus, Chemicals Industries Association (CIA), Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and EngineeringUK.
SIM is part of the industrial strategy work to ensure business can attract the talent they need for growth. With seven new industries joining automotive, aerospace, and food & drink this year the full list of sectors taking part is:
BIS are also supporting Tomorrow’s Engineers Week (#TEWeek13) which takes place from 4-8 November 2013 and aims to change perceptions of engineering among young people, their parents and teachers. The campaign will challenge outdated negative perceptions about engineering careers, particularly amongst women, and demonstrate the relevance of engineering to young people’s everyday lives.
Racing start for the next generation of engineers
17 Oct 2013
A joint government-industry initiative to encourage young people to consider a career in manufacturing moved into the fast lane when McLaren roared into Westminster on Tuesday. The McLaren Manufacturing Challenge forms part of the See Inside Manufacturing (SIM) campaign and aims to encourage students to think about engineering in a practical, hands-on sense by designing a motor-less vehicle that, just as in Formula 1, must comply with strict regulations. The cars can be as complicated and as ingenious as the teams like, but the challenge is simple – to cover a 10 metre track as quickly as possible, but without using any form of motor.
Three London schools took part in a showcase of their work at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, before being invited to compete in the grand final with schools from Woking at the McLaren Technology Centre on 8th November. Business Secretary, Vince Cable, and Operations Director of McLaren Automotive, Alan Foster, presided over the event and spoke to the students about the fulfilling opportunities available to them in the manufacturing and engineering sectors.
Speaking about the event, Business Secretary Vince Cable said, “See Inside Manufacturing plays an important part in challenging outdated perceptions of industry. The manufacturing sector is crucial to building a stronger economy – supporting two and a half million jobs and contributing almost £140 billion a year to the UK.
“Working with business I want to inspire young people to see just how dynamic the industry is. Events like this will put them in pole position to get involved in these rewarding careers.”
Alan Foster, Operations Director at McLaren Automotive, said, “Nearly everything that we use in our lives today is born out of engineering. The UK has a proud heritage in this field and boasts some of the best engineers and manufacturing facilities in the world. However, there is still an outdated perception amongst young people that it is an ‘oily-rag’ industry and doesn’t represent an exciting career choice. You only need ask the hundreds of talented engineers working on Jenson Button’s Formula 1 car or the new McLaren P1 super car to know that nothing could be further from the truth.
“This is the third year we’ve run the McLaren Manufacturing Challenge and welcomed students into to see our facilities. We’re continually amazed by the level of ingenuity shown in the vehicles they design and hope that it’s an experience that inspires them to go on and be the McLaren engineers of the future.”
SIM involves businesses opening their doors to young people and teachers, allowing them a first-hand view of modern manufacturing and the exciting jobs available.
Before giving the green light to start the McLaren Manufacturing Challenge, Dr Cable heard what other sectors were doing to support SIM. The Business Secretary met with representatives from Airbus, Chemicals Industries Association (CIA), Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and EngineeringUK.
SIM is part of the industrial strategy work to ensure business can attract the talent they need for growth. With seven new industries joining automotive, aerospace, and food & drink this year the full list of sectors taking part is:
For those interested in finding out more, the See Inside Manufacturing portal has further information at www.bis.gov.uk/seeinsidemanufacturing.
BIS are also supporting Tomorrow’s Engineers Week (#TEWeek13) which takes place from 4-8 November 2013 and aims to change perceptions of engineering among young people, their parents and teachers. The campaign will challenge outdated negative perceptions about engineering careers, particularly amongst women, and demonstrate the relevance of engineering to young people’s everyday lives.