Bringing automotive to a new generation

Getting the next generation of talent excited about what automotive has to offer isn’t a one hit and you’re done project. The work never ends, but it’s worthwhile to make sure the sector remains a critical part of the country’s economy and culture.

There’s another incredibly important reason to keep pushing the message too. Showing how diverse automotive’s career options are and that it can be a fantastic place to build a skills base that could possibly take you anywhere.

It’s something that arguably not everyone will realise and it’s why the IMI spends a considerable amount of time in the community, explaining what automotive has to offer and why it could be a good fit.  

Taking automotive far and wide

In May the IMI visited the Jewish Community School in Cockfosters for a careers fair where many students expressed an interest in engineering and automotive careers, quickly followed by a trip to The Sele School in Hertford for an automotive green careers presentation and Q&A with over 300 students in years 7 and 8. But that was just the beginning of the schedule, the IMI also headed to…

Sandon Junior School in Sandon near Stevenage, for a fun presentation and question session with 60 primary school students aged 6-8 years.

Hitchin Girls’ School in Hertfordshire for a dose of speed networking and an insight into a broad range of automotive careers to girls interested in a STEM future.

Barnet and Southgate College held a careers fair highlighting the varied subject routes that can lead to an automotive career, talking to Science and IT students about how their subject areas relate to the industry.

Avanti Grange School in Bishops Stortford for an interactive workshop day where 120 Students worked in teams to complete the IMI’s design a vehicle competition workshop activity, coming up with a marketing strategy for a  vehicle of the future with sustainability and target audience at the heart of their project.

The Spark Careers webinar – Driving Dreams: Exploring Inclusive Careers in the Motor Industry for Young People with SEND – brought together over 1,000 young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), from over 200 alternative and SEND educational settings to hear from a range of successful neurodiverse former apprentices about how they overcame barriers and the kinds of support mechanisms available in automotive training and careers.

The Primary Engineer Celebration event at the Eyebox Training and Conference centre brought together 50 primary school children, showcasing a project they worked on with help from IMI members and engineers in the Coventry area, designing and making a creative shoebox or battery powered vehicle

The Generation Stevenage 2024 event in Knebworth welcomed 850 students from a dozen Hertfordshire schools to find out about a wide range of careers, with the IMI is in attendance to raise awareness of automotive careers options.

Putting automotive in front of students and pupils is key to making sure automotive is part of the conversations when career decisions come into view. It takes time, and it’s a continuous process, but it’s a critical part of making sure automotive stays successful and brings the best and brightest talent.

If you would like to play a part in inspiring the future of automotive get in contact with the IMI careers team for resources and guidance on how to get involved