City celebrates its manufacturing heritage
ONE OF the biggest celebrations of Bradford’s manufacturing prowess in decades gets under way today.
Organisers of Bradford Manufacturing Week have created more than 3,000 manufacturing experiences for students at more than half of the district’s secondary schools.
The week-long celebration kicks off at Shipley can making machinery manufacturers CarnaudMetalBox Engineering in Shiply.
Pupils from local schools are due to visit the facility with council and business leaders to kick start the week.
Bradford Manufacturing Week is led by West & North Yorkshire Chamber, sponsored by Barclays and backed by the newly-formed Bradford Economic Partnership.
It is designed to introduce the district’s manufacturers to young people to help boost apprenticeship numbers by creating more inspired, informed and ‘work ready’ applicants into the sector.
The week is the brainchild of Nick Garthwaite, president of Bradford Chamber and boss of chemicals and detergents manufacturer Christeyns.
He said: “We have spent the last six months actively engaging with schools and manufacturers through events, meetings, phone calls and correspondence to bring together businesses and schools and create meaningful experiences for the students,
“We have manufacturers who are visiting schools, groups of students visiting the manufacturers, work placements, work experiences, tours and Q&A events to maximise every opportunity for sharing information and inspiring young minds.”
Signed-up Bradford manufacturers include BASF, Airedale Chemical, Whitakers Chocolate, TF Automation, Mansfield Pollard, Gesipa, Thorite, Morrisons, CarnaudMetalBox Engineering and Gordon Rhodes.
Mr Garthwaite believes the Bradford initiative, alongside the Chamber’s October Leeds Manufacturing Festival on October 10, will inspire other cities across the UK to host their own manufacturing weeks.
“The Chamber is leading two high-impact manufacturing sector initiatives because we want young people to see for themselves the exciting and progressive career opportunities it presents,” he said.
We have spent the last six months actively engaging with schools. Nick Garthwaite, president of Bradford Chamber.