A NUMBER OF craven schools and colleges are taking part in Bradford Manufacturing Weeks which started on Monday.

Led by West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, Bradford Manufacturing Weeks introduces students from schools including South Craven, The Skipton Academy and Craven College to a career in manufacturing through events with employers including Skipton’s Guyson International and Airedale Chemical such as Q&A panels, work placements, manufacturer tours, work experience and life skills events.

Since 2018, the initiative has created more than 12,000 manufacturing experiences.

Keighley and Bradford’s female manufacturing leaders are headlining a panel event to inspire school pupils.

The women, who have a collective 150 years’ manufacturing experience, lead and manage Bradford and Keighley-based international businesses in the chemical, component, aerospace, textile products and metallurgical laboratory sectors.

The Women in Manufacturing panel at Bradford Girls’ Grammar School tomorrow (Thursday, October 14) will be led by Vicky Wainwright, Bradford Chamber of Commerce president and managing director of accountancy firm and Bradford Manufacturing Weeks sponsor, Naylor Wintersgill. The event will be recorded and shared with schools unable to attend.

Debbie Mellor, managing director of Keighley Laboratories who has worked in manufacturing for 35 years said: “Through this panel event I hope to be able to show girls that there are no barriers for women in engineering and manufacturing, they just need to have the drive and passion to succeed.

“Bradford Manufacturing Weeks is giving local businesses an invaluable platform to really engage with young people from all backgrounds. Coming from a business which may be unseen to those outside of the sector, we appreciate the opportunity to talk about the work we do and to showcase the careers – from marketing to machining - that companies like ours offer.”

Delivered in partnership with Bradford-based school and career specialists The Opportunity Centre and with primary sponsorship from Barclays and additional sponsorship from E3 Recruitment, Naylor Wintersgill, LCF Law and Bradford Council, more than 30 manufacturers and 45 secondary schools have registered for this year’s two-week initiative.

www.bradfordmanufacturingweek.co.uk.