Nissan has announced that it is to expand its schools engagement activities in the UK, to encourage British schoolchildren to consider careers in the automotive industry.
The manufacturer is increasing the activities of its Nissan Skills Foundation to include several new initiatives focusing on electric vehicles, motorsports and manufacturing innovations. More than 15,000 young people will take part in a range of workshops, competitions, facility tours and practical activities as part of the programme, which coincides with this year’s See Inside Manufacturing campaign. Each year, Nissan’s See Inside Manufacturing activities see 2,500 schoolchildren visit its Sunderland Plant over the fortnight.
Commenting on the Nissan Skills Foundation, Skills Minister Nick Boles said, “Alongside the See Inside Manufacturing scheme, the Nissan Skills Foundation will help children and young people to understand the value of careers in this sector and ensure that businesses have the skills they need to grow.
Nissan’s new initiatives include:
- The F1 In Schools programme, which will give children the chance to run their own motorsport team, learning about the engineering, design logistics and management required to get a car on the road, as well as racing model cars.
- The Nissan Blue Citizenship Eco Schools Programme, originally launched in Japan, this teaches students about how electric vehicles work by building a model EV and windfarm, followed by a ride in the all-electric Nissan LEAF.
- Monozukuri Caravan workshops, a hands-on interactive workshop for year 6 pupils which will be expanded following the 1,000 children that attended in 2013.
Nissan will also be running several smaller programmes including the Industrial Cadets for pre-GCSE pupils and the Engineering Education Scheme, both of which offer students the chance to tackle hands-on real life industrial and science-based challenges.
Kevin Fitzpatrick, Nissan’s Vice President for Manufacturing in the UK, said, “The Nissan Skills Foundation has been created to inspire the next generation of British design, engineering, and manufacturing talent. There are many elements of this wider programme, which will be the focus of our community activity in North East England and will excite many thousands of young people about science and engineering.”
The Nissan Skills Foundation will have a dedicated team based at the Nissan Sunderland plant, supporting schools by explaining the careers available in manufacturing and the different activities available for schools to access. Teachers can get more information by contacting Heather Corrigan via email at heather.corrigan@nissan-nmuk.co.uk or on 0191 4152035.
