Teenagers shine in Siemens Make It Enterprise Challenge
30/05/2014 The Manufacturing Institute
More than 100 pupils from Cheshire schools developed their enterprising talents and saw how varied and interesting a career in manufacturing can be, when they competed in the Siemens Make it Challenge.Pupils from Knutsford Academy stormed to victory, with Cheadle Hulme School and Wellington School placing second and third.
The 14 and 15 year olds from Knutsford set up the ATOM 'pop up' food factory. This was part of a day-long competition that was designed to give them a real taste of the dynamic world of modern manufacturing enterprise.
The free event was a collaboration between educational charity The Manufacturing Institute and global engineering company Siemens Congleton.
They competed to build a manufacturing business and develop and market new products - using Siemens drive technologies.
The Knutsford students demonstrated how the drive technologies could power fully automated production lines in their state-of-the-art factory. Judges from Siemens praised their design, management, marketing, sales and finance skills.
On the day, the students completed a series of tasks, each taking on job roles from managing director to operations managers through to finance, sales and marketing managers.
They developed a sales and marketing strategy and then pitched their fully planned ideas in a Dragons' Den-style presentation to Siemens employees.
The Challenge was part of The Manufacturing Institute's Make It campaign, which aims to attract the brightest and best new talent into manufacturing by promoting the sector as an exciting and rewarding career option for young people.
Stephanie Boyle Make It campaign coordinator for The Manufacturing Institute's Make It campaign, said: "Manufacturing and engineering are crucial to our economy and it's essential that we attract the brightest young people to work in the sector. At this event, the teenagers gained a true flavour of what it's like working for a business like Siemens. The creative ideas and commercial know how of all the students taking part was very impressive."
Finbarr Dowling, Managing Director at Siemens Congleton, said: "Congratulations to Knutsford Academy, who have shown they have got what it takes to succeed in business. This is the fourth consecutive year that we have joined with The Manufacturing Institute to run a Make It event. We want to light that flame of enthusiasm for manufacturing and engineering amongst the highly talented and enthusiastic young people in our locality."
The Knutsford Academy team will now go forward with Cheadle Hulme School to compete in the national Make It Enterprise challenge later this year.
Fore more information, please visit: www.manufacturinginstitute.co.uk
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