Press/Media: Teaching
| Title | Croft Filters: Promoting youth in industry |
|---|---|
| Degree of recognition | National |
| Media name/outlet | Croft Filters Ltd |
| Primary Media type | Web |
| Country/Territory | United Kingdom |
| Date | 1/12/20 |
| Description | At Croft Filters, we’re investing in the manufacturing talent of tomorrow. We have achieved success over the years by always looking forwards, and that’s something that we will continue to focus on to strengthen not just the Croft Filters team, but the UK manufacturing sector. Changing Perceptions For some years, manufacturing has been at risk of losing great youthful talent to other newer sectors such as technology. Where once engineering would have been a top choice for the best talent in a generation, other more contemporary career choices such as software development and digital design threatened to overtake engineering and manufacturing. But now the tide is turning. With new investment, and new technologies being incorporated into manufacturing and the shaking off of the idea that manufacturing and engineering is an outdated career choice, there are waves of new talent flocking to the industry. Promoting Youth with Made Here Now Croft Filters is proud to be one of the sponsors of the Made Here Now initiative. This programme aims to change the perceptions of the UK manufacturing sector and attract more talent to the industry. We share the values of Made Here Now and believe that the UK manufacturing sector is strengthened by investment in homegrown talent. Our partnership with Made Here Now allows them to continue their mission to attract young people to the manufacturing industry. A key part of their mission is to work with manufacturers to engage with young people, including school children to get them interested in a career in manufacturing from a young age. This is particularly important for manufacturing to keep up with other industries which are better known to school-age children such as teaching, and to get more girls interested in considering a career in manufacturing – a section of the demographic which is still underrepresented in manufacturing. Year In Industry As part of our initiative to attract and drive the development of youth in the sector, we work with Lancaster University and take on students as part of their year in industry. Earlier this year, we had the pleasure of taking on Masters of Engineering student Jack Bentley, where he worked closely with the Croft Filters Additive Manufacturing team on an innovative project. During his time with us, Jack worked on a project about the life of manufacturing powder, and if it’s possible to reuse it to lengthen its life and increase the environmental credentials of additive manufacturing. This innovative project is something that lies close to the heart of Croft Filters; we are passionate about making the UK manufacturing sector more environmentally conscious. Jack said of his placement, “At Croft, I was given the freedom to plan my project and choose where I wanted to take it. This responsibility helped me to become a more disciplined and organised engineer. I was also encouraged to attend several industry showcase events and professional development workshops, in which I learned much about the industry and picked up some valuable skills.” Promoting Youth with Made Here Now For his year in industry, Jack was awarded an Industrial Cadet Certificate of Graduation at the highest level. He was presented with his Platinum Level certificate recently, awarded by the Engineering Development Trust (EDT), a body whose aim is to increase interest in UK STEM careers. Jack added, “I had a really enjoyable and formative year at Croft, and I feel like my time there has helped me to develop leaps and bounds as an engineer. Learning to work in a professional environment for the first time was a steep learning curve for me, but the team at Croft were always happy to help me, and very quickly made me feel at home. I particularly enjoyed attending the TCT additive showcase event in Birmingham, where all the latest technology in the industry was on display. Towards the end of my project, I was encouraged to apply for the Industrial Cadet Platinum Award – an award that recognises contribution and personal development over a year in industry – and I have just received my certificate last week. I want to thank everyone at Croft for a fantastic year!” As a centre of innovation and pushing boundaries, especially when it comes to the additive manufacturing arm of the business, we’re proud to have helped Jack achieve recognition for his talents. Professor Allan Rennie, Y-in-I Placements Co-Ordinator for Lancaster University’s Engineering Department, said “We are witnessing an increased appetite from students looking to gain some form of contextual work experience in or with industry during their studies, be that a summer or vacation placement, a term-time internship or even a full-year in industry. Croft Filters Ltd and Croft Additive Manufacturing Ltd have been very supportive in this regard and work closely with our Department to offer such opportunities to our student body. Jack has benefitted immensely from his time with Croft, and although he is a Chemical Engineering undergraduate, his knowledge gained from studies to date allowed him to undertake this year-in-industry placement in a related manufacturing field where he could apply some of his skills, investigating routes for recycling and reusing materials in additive manufacturing (3D printing). It was so pleasing to hear of Jack’s Platinum Award, which exemplifies the hard work and commitment he put into his placement, but also recognises the excellent support that he received from his industrial mentors.” |
| Producer/Author | Croft Filters Ltd |
| Persons | Allan Rennie |