Wells Plastics helping young people
This year Wells Plastics has had the privilege of lending the knowledge and experience of Bactiglas product manager Julie Simmons to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics network (S.T.E.M). In an article looking ahead at 2015 , Plastics and Rubber Weekly highlighted the real need for more young people to take up careers in the UK manufacturing sector. With the average age of engineers at 54, and only 6% of UK students studying engineering or technology, it is hoped that programs such as these will help inspire more school leavers to realistically consider careers in S.T.E.M areas. Between the 11th and 14th of March Julie could be found providing demonstrations on the various properties of polymers to young scientists on the Royal Society of Chemistry stand, at the annual Big Bang Fair held at the NEC in Birmingham. As part of the program Julie has also volunteered her time to visit Staffordshire based school Sir Graham Balfour, to give a presentation on the principles of Design, Technology and Manufacturing to AS students, as well as speaking at one of the school’s many career events. With the school’s modern facilities it is easy to see why science and design are some of the most popular elected subjects, and events such as these give the students a real insight into how their knowledge can be applied in the working world.We have already taken on one of the schools’ ex pupils who went on to obtain a science degree from Keele University, so can say from experience how beneficial it can be for businesses to take on skilled, and enthusiastic young workers. We are lucky to have experts in the field like Julie, who are willing to spare the time to develop young people’s interest in manufacturing, and hope that this is just the start of Wells’ involvement in bringing fresh faces and new ideas to the plastics industry. For more information on both STEM and the Royal Society of Chemistry please visit.