Turning automotive engineering into child’s play

The Nissan Skills Foundation at the Sunderland plant in the UK is dedicated to inspiring young minds and supporting the talent of the future

Nissan is opening the world of automotive engineering and manufacturing to young minds.

Inspiring the next generation of talent, the Nissan Skills Foundation at the Sunderland Plant in the UK fuels passions for vehicle design, engineering and manufacturing, with a heavy focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

The foundation’s dedicated team works with schools in the North East of England while making daunting topics – like the engineering behind an electric vehicle – fun. By learning through doing, students consider careers they have never imagined. They build cars from a LEGO set on a mini production line, and the students learn manufacturing lessons like ensuring quality, removing waste and highlighting improvements.

The drive to international influence

"Manufacturing is ingrained in the North East's identity,” said Dave Hutchinson who runs the Skills Foundation at the plant for Nissan.?“We created the Nissan Skills Foundation in 2013 to inspire potential young manufacturing and engineering talent throughout the region. The dream was that one day they'd come and join us. I'm proud to say it's a dream come true. We took our initial inspiration from Nissan's Monozukuri Caravan education program in Japan and started with three different programs for children aged 13 to 14."?

"Our initial pilot was 140 children from three schools. It very quickly got bigger, and we started to receive higher demand from schools across the region. This year we've celebrated welcoming our 80,000th child through the doors." – Dave Hutchinson

Involving the local community in the automotive world

The Foundation hosts events specifically for girls led by female Nissan employees. These events are not just centered around cars; they teach important life skills such as how to prepare for job interviews. The GIMME program (Girls in Manufacturing, Monozukuri and Engineering) is a bespoke initiative by the foundation highlighting opportunities in the automotive industry for girls.

Claire Pickering and Lois Heywood are two former Foundation participants who are now pursuing successful careers on the Nissan team. Both were introduced to the world of STEM at a young age through the foundation, and both were inspired by learning from female role models at Nissan. Now the pair has taken on the role of the inspirers, encouraging the youngsters of today to discover a career in the automotive sector.

Pickering, a Trainee Maintenance Apprentice in the Press Shop at the Sunderland plant, reminisces about where her journey with Nissan began.

"I became involved with the Nissan Skills Foundation at the age of 17 when I discovered my interest in computer science technology at school,” said Pickering. “The program gave me the opportunity to get a first-hand view of the different roles at Nissan and to interact with women who work at the plant. After completing the GIMME program, my goal was to pursue a career at Nissan so I applied for the Maintenance Apprenticeship. I am so grateful for the opportunities and life skills I've acquired thanks to the Nissan Skills Foundation."

Heywood’s journey has come full circle. She was 11 when she attended an inspiring foundation course and is now a foundation trainer.

"I attended the Monozukuri Caravan event when I was in year six, which inspired me to learn more about the automotive industry," said Heywood. "Now I work with children on the different courses the Nissan Skills Foundation offers, including the Monozukuri Caravan course. I love my job because I can empower young girls to discover careers at Nissan in the same way that I was inspired as a child."

Drive towards sustainability

What's next for the Nissan Skills Foundation?

As Nissan Sunderland charges towards electrification and sustainability – after being announced as the flagship EV36Zero hub – courses at the foundation are evolving to reflect this environmental mission.

Content for new programs at the Nissan Skills Foundation focuses on a sustainable future and a zero-emissions world. This work is already underway, as the team at the Foundation has developed a sustainable environment module for children between the ages of 6 and 11. The team is also creating one for secondary children (11 to 16 years old) to spread awareness of how to protect the planet.

"We've inspired 80,000 minds, but that's just the start,” said Hutchinson. “Our electrified future is exciting. We know our foundation will continue to play a vital role in inspiring the talent of the future that will take us there."

Read more stories at Global.NissanStories.com.