Local company gives UK engineering schools an insight into industry

80 teachers from specialist engineering schools across the country visited Newburgh Engineering in South Yorkshire recently, to give them a better insight into the operation of a high precision engineering business. The visit, which was part of a two-day Engineering Conference being held in South Yorkshire by the SpecialistSchools and Academies Trust, involved a presentation by Newburgh’s Managing Director Vincent Middleton and a tour of the state-of-the-art factory.

James Pitt, SpecialistSchools and Academies Trust (SSAT) Consultant, explains: “All the teachers who visited Newburgh work directly with pupils studying engineering subjects at school.  It is important for them to keep up to date with the changing requirements of the industry and to give them an even better understanding of what employers are looking for.  The visit gave us a fascinating insight into the role of an Apprentice engineer and how precision manufacturers like Newburgh are working to meet the challenges of the skills shortage in engineering.”

Vincent Middleton, Managing Director of Newburgh Engineering, said: “The future success and competitiveness of the UK engineering companies depends on being able to attract and retain highly skilled Apprentices.  We are working closely with a number of schools in order to demonstrate the opportunities for bright, dynamic students who choose Engineering as a career.  The visit by the SSAT teachers was an important part of this, as they have direct contact with this country’s future Apprentice engineers, who are so important to ensure the longevity and competitiveness of this industry.”

The visit comes six months after Newburgh Engineering embarked upon its New Era Apprenticeship programme with local training provider Brinsworth Training, which was designed to create a highly skilled breed of young engineers. As part of this programme, Newburgh Engineering is sponsoring seven young people, as part of generating its own team of highly skilled engineers for the future.