Member Article

Firms collaborate to engineer the future

Schools from across the region are being invited to explore the world of engineering at ‘Bring it On!’, the first event of its kind in the North East.

‘Bring it On!’ aims to inspire, educate and excite school children between the ages of nine and 14 about the opportunities in the sector within the region and ultimately reduce the existing skills gap.

The exhibition, to be held on the 3rd and 4th October at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland, will see a collaboration of regional exhibitors, including Unipres (UK) Limited and Caterpillar, who are aiming to improve employment prospects for young people and enabling pupils at grass roots level to learn about their options.

The event will feature seven zones, each with eight businesses showcasing the work they do in the North East for clients across the world in order to help educate young people about the industry. The zones include: subsea and offshore; chemicals and processing; automotive; creative and digital technology; civil and structural; engineering your career and ‘I bet you didn’t know this was engineering’ – a zone aptly named for jobs students will be surprised to discover are in fact engineering.

Unipres (UK) Limited, which is one of the region’s major employers in the automotive sector and provides components to car makers including Nissan, Renault and Honda, is one of the companies that will be exhibiting at the event.

Operations Director of Unipres John Cruddace said: “This is a fantastic event for the region’s engineering firms to get involved with. It’s the ideal way to encourage the next generation of engineers to consider a career in the North East, which will help close the skills gap the region is currently suffering from.”

The non-profit making event was founded by Sunderland Rotary Club, The Institution of Mechanical Engineers, STEM Ambassador Hub and Engineering UK, with additional headline sponsors including: Reece Foundation; Community Foundation; North East Local Enterprise Partnership; Engineering UK; Cleveland Scientific Institution; IET and MAKE It Sunderland.

Andrew Hodgson, chief executive officer of Soil Machine Dynamics (SMD) and chair of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership said: “‘Bring it On!’ is going to help put engineering on the map for the North East. It’s incredibly important that we educate young people in the region about the endless opportunities we have here. Engineering has always been at the heart of the North East and we want the industry to continue to thrive.”

The event is calling for more investment to help make ‘Bring it On!’ even more special for young people attending. If you would like to support the event, which will help inspire and retain North East engineering talent, please make a donation by visiting the exhibition’s Just Giving page, https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/BringItOnNE.

Councillor Paul Watson, Leader of Sunderland City Council said: “Developing a strong engineering skills base to boost innovation and growth across the North East is key to our future economic health.

“With the right skills in place we can attract international companies looking for UK locations, as Sunderland has already proved with a number of global firms choosing to set up UK bases in our city.

“‘Bring it On!’ is doing a great job by building real enthusiasm for engineering at a young age, and we’re delighted to support it.”

If you’re passionate about inspiring the next generation of North East engineers, and would like to attend or exhibit at the event, or would simply like to find out more about the innovative exhibition, please visit www.bringitonne.co.uk. Places are limited so schools and businesses are advised to act fast.

To get in touch with the event production team at She’s Gott It! Events, email info@bringitonne.co.uk or call 0191 385 6619.

Twitter: @BringItOnNE

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Harvey and Hugo .