Brandauer is partnering with The Way Youth Zone in Wolverhampton in an effort to continue tackling the ever-growing skills gap in manufacturing and engineering.
The West Midlands is known for its rich history in manufacturing and engineering, with the region becoming the heart of UK manufacturing due to its central location and being in the middle of the UK’s canal system. After over 100 years of development, the West Midlands is still the heart of UK manufacturing.
Alongside this amazing heritage, there comes fresh issues to tackle to keep the industry alive and well.
One of the biggest issues the manufacturing industry is facing is the skills gap. Brandauer has been tackling this for over 20 years, and improvements have been made – we have taken our average age from over 55 to 44 in just over 15 years. However, if companies stop now, the gap will begin to increase again, eventually leaving the industry with no skilled engineers.
That is one of the main reasons why Brandauer is choosing to partner with The Way.
What is The Way and what do they do?
The Way is a youth zone that, since opening its doors in 2016, has had over 17,500 young people come through the doors and engage in a range of activities, such as:
- Arts and crafts
- Climbing
- Boxing
- Music production
- Gym
- Football
- And more…
The Way has been designed and implemented for young people aged from 8-18 (or up to 25 with additional needs) to have a safe space where they can explore new interests and build confidence before transitioning to an independent adult lifestyle. The main goal is to give young people somewhere safe to go, something fun to do and someone trusted to go to, especially when they need it most.
The work The Way has completed has done huge amounts for the West Midlands already. It is reported that for every £1 invested in the youth zone, £13.64 in social value is generated!
Why is this collaboration taking place?
Brandauer has decided to collaborate with The Way to bring the first Makerspace to the West Midlands. Makerspaces are proven to work in other areas of the UK, with Inspire Youth Zone in Chorley having over 6,000 sessions and over 850 hours of delivery completed in just six months!
But what is a Makerspace, and what will be different at The Youth Zone?
A Makerspace is a space dedicated to young people to unleash their creativity and bring ideas to life. Engineering tools such as laser cutting and 3D printing are present to give young people endless opportunities to make whatever they come up with!
The difference for the makers zone in The Way will be industry engagement. From the very beginning, The Way is looking to engage with the industry to get students ready for employment by the time they become adults. This Makerspace is essentially acting as a hub for young people to begin their journey into engineering. Problems, goals and initiatives will all be set by companies to potentially solve real-world issues on-site.
Theo’s Makerspace
The site will be called Theo’s Makerspace and represent the values of THEO. For those that don’t know, Theo was a Brandauer apprentice who sadly lost his life in a motoring accident at just 17 years old. He was a model apprentice for Brandauer, and we all hugely miss his presence every day.
Theo’s work ethic and dedication deserve to live on as a legacy that will endure for years to come. That’s why this Makerspace is going to be dedicated to Theo’s name. Every person who comes through The Way’s Makerspace will be working to THEO’s values.
T = Think – Encouraging young minds to think critically, creatively and with purpose
H = Harness – Helping them harness their potential through hands-on learning and mentorship
E = Engineer – Empowering them to engineer solutions using modern tools and technologies
O = Own – Inspiring them to own their journey, ideas and future
How can businesses get involved?
Whilst this space is designed for young people, by getting businesses involved in the process. There will be mutual, tangible benefits for all engineering firms in the West Midlands.
This space is ultimately designed to provide early engagement for young people to potentially spark their interest in engineering and manufacturing. However, it goes beyond engaging.
The Way is taking an approach which encompasses every stage of a young person’s journey as they develop their skills and interest in engineering.
Discover
Sparking curiosity and broadening horizons through making. This stage is typically reserved for the younger people, but it can also be the initial stage where someone engages with engineering.
This stage usually involves simple, easy-to-understand tasks that involve the foundations of engineering, but without the daunting equipment and learning!
Develop
This is where industry input begins to get involved. Once a young person has shown interest in engineering, The Way then begins to develop those skills into something actionable!
Structured, industry-led projects are set out by the team to get people onto the next level of development. This includes learning and understanding engineering fundamentals, alongside learning how to operate machinery correctly and safely.
Decide
This stage is when young people are going to have direct access to the industry. Companies will set real-world projects in which the young people at The Way can get stuck into and solve.
They will use real techniques and real machines, which when done successfully can give real results to the businesses involved.
Do
If all of the above is successful, then at the end, you get young people who have shown real, sustained progression. Young people take pride in their creations, share their skills with others, but most importantly, have laid the foundations for their future careers.
But what does this do for your business?
Outside of providing genuine help to young people, businesses who are involved in this initiative will gain a huge natural advantage in key commercial areas.
CSR
It is no secret that this initiative is going to be a pilot for businesses working on improving or adding to their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) objectives. All companies can benefit from showcasing their involvement in this project throughout their business and supply chain, thus fostering promotional content for the business, while also creating opportunities to build new industry relationships and develop potential collaborations with other engaged businesses. This initiative spans multiple projects and will be a constant opportunity to showcase the work of all involved.
Genuine talent pipeline
Alongside the CSR benefits, another major advantage – and a key priority for The Way – is creating a genuine talent pipeline for businesses across the West Midlands. Through carefully designed tasks set by real companies, participants develop the practical skills, knowledge and behaviours that employers are looking for in the next generation of engineers.
By completing the programme, individuals gain valuable, industry-relevant experience that prepares them to enter the sector with confidence and contribute at a professional level from the outset. This not only improves their employment prospects, but also helps them secure opportunities that can lead to rewarding, long-term careers in engineering.
For more information on this initiative, please get in touch with the following people:
- For internal Brandauer enquiries, please email Rowan Crozier
- Contact The Way directly for more information by emailing Rob Mallett
To keep up with the latest news from Brandauer, please follow us on LinkedIn.
