Winkworth, the leading UK designer and manufacturer of industrial mixing and blending machinery, has inspirited and enlightened students at a recent charity event in Basingstoke called ‘Get Inspired.’
EBP South (Education, Business Partnership South) who held the event are on a mission to inspire and prepare young people for the world of work, and address the growing knowledge gap young people have on the job roles available to them. The ‘Get Inspired’ events give local businesses an opportunity to exhibit with an interactive activity, offering a practical insight for young people on a range of careers.
Winkworth were one of thirty-one businesses exhibiting at the event, across a range of sectors. Approximately 350 students were in attendance, ranging in age from ten to sixteen years old. Jess Holt, Winkworth’s HR Manager, ran the stand with two of their apprentices – Jordan Selfe and Jamie Allan.
Jess Holt said, “Using an interactive activity and bringing in visual aids was key to capturing the attention of the students. It was a delight to hear that they thought what our mixers could do was really “cool” – in particular they enjoyed our video showing sugar paste being blended inside our Z-Blade mixer.
“Our apprentices were great at relating to the students and understanding the immense pressure they feel at choosing the best career path. It is a daunting prospect for any young person, but they will have learnt a lot from the businesses in attendance, and are now armed with a better knowledge of how they can shape their next few years of education, with a future job in mind.”
The events, which are held throughout Hampshire, hope to inform young people on the range of careers available on their doorstep, that they may have ordinarily been unaware of. By showcasing these careers to a younger age range, it is thought to help them mold their education to their future ambitions, which will start to bridge the skills gap on a wider scale.
Grant Jamieson, Winkworth’s managing director agreed, “We are extremely proud to be supporting this wonderful, local event. It is a fantastic opportunity to inspire and inform the next generation on the world of engineering. Hopefully some seeds were planted with the very people who may make up our task force one day. The event also offered a chance to network with like-minded businesses and build our contacts.”
Winkworth hope to be part of future Get Inspired events, which are likely to be held annually or bi-annually in Basingstoke.
