THE boss of a Brighouse engineering firm is championing a pioneering qualification giving young people hands-on education in manufacturing.
Simon Moorhouse, managing director of Brighouse-based Denford Ltd, has joined a national network of employer champions who work to encourage colleagues in the industry to get involved with the Diploma for Manufacturing and Product Design.
The MPD was introduced for 14 to 19-year-olds in schools and colleges around England last September.
Mr Moorhouse has spent the past 10 years as managing director of Denford, which makes and exports computer-aided design and manufacturing machines for education and training markets worldwide.
He said his 30 years’ experience working in manufacturing and engineering at home and overseas – including managing companies in Europe and the Far East – had given him an insight into how far manufacturing has slipped off the radar as a potential career option for young people in the UK.
He said: “In countries such as China, Pakistan and India, they still value engineering and manufacturing as a career – it’s seen as high tech and a fantastic opportunity.
“Our message is to promote the diploma for MPD as a way of encouraging interest in manufacturing among young people again.
“It is in all our interests as employers to get the best students into manufacturing and to inspire young people to understand that it’s a sophisticated, high-tech, diverse industry with great career prospects. There are a lot of companies crying out skilled people, so let’s invest to develop the next generation.”
Mr Moorhouse said the UK was still able to compete on the world stage for excellence in manufacturing and engineering, but there was a lack of understanding about the industry and its strengths.
“Many UK companies remain highly successful and are here for the long term,” he said. “They continue to offer great career prospects for bright young people.”
The Diploma in MPD has been developed to sit alongside traditional academic qualifications, with students dividing their time between classroom, college and the workplace.
