To celebrate National Manufacturing Day students from 7 Island schools and colleges visited GKN Aerospace’s Falcon Yard site to learn about a career in aerospace manufacturing last Thursday (28th September).
Students attended from Medina College, Carisbrooke College, The Island Sixth Form, Christ the King College, Centre of Excellence for Composites, Advanced Manufacturing and Marine (CECAMM), Island Free School and Cowes Enterprise College.
They were also joined by HM Lord Lieutenant Susie Sheldon, Bob Seely MP and Councillor Debbie Andre, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Lifelong Skills who were invited to see the activities, speak with the students and take a site tour of the manufacturing facilities..
The event was held as part of Make UK’s National Manufacturing Day celebrations and across the Falcon Yard site visitors engaged in 4 different activities.
These were a tour of GKN’s manufacturing facility, a session with the collectively owned regional ‘Tech Truck’ that focusses on digital manufacturing and aerospace topics, a game that tests business and procurement skills and a paper aeroplane building and testing activity.
Students saw the manufacturing processes of a number of GKN Aerospace products including wing tips and ailerons that are fitted to and fly on commercial aircraft all over the globe.
The day was hosted by employees from across the GKN Aerospace team; senior management, engineering teams and apprentices all engaged with students to show them the work being done on the site.
The event also featured a focus on employment skills and careers opportunities. As a large employer on the Island GKN Aerospace is committed to offering exciting apprenticeship and early careers opportunities and keeping talent on the Island.
GKN Aerospace Cowes Site Director Garry Hernes said:
“As the largest private employer on the Island and a global aerospace leader, we are extremely proud of our role supporting the next generation of engineers.
“It was a pleasure to welcome the students to our site and their energy and passion was an inspiration. Here at GKN Aerospace Cowes we are a huge investor in our people and we are always delighted when young people from the Island show an interest in working with us, today has been a great opportunity to share a little of what we do.”
