The BAE Systems Make It Enterprising Challenge 08 December 2011

Lancashire high schools proved they have what it takes to ‘Make It in Manufacturing’ by coming to the rescue of victims of natural disasters, war zones and other troubles at an event held on 8 December 2011.

The ‘Make It’ Enterprising Challenge heat invited 13 and 14-year old boys and girls from local schools to form their own mini-manufacturing businesses and compete to win a contract from BAE Systems.

This free event was a collaboration between The Manufacturing Institute and BAE Systems. It also marked the fifth birthday and 50th Enterprising Challenge held by the Institute’s ‘Make It’ campaign, which aims to attract the brightest and best new talent into manufacturing and promote the sector as an exciting and rewarding career option for young people.

The Year Nine boys and girls designed, costed, built and marketed amphibious unmanned emergency rescue vehicles, ranging from James Bond-style emergency response units, bomb disposal motors and land mine clearance trucks.

On the day, teams built their vehicles from polydrons and set up their own manufacturing enterprises, each taking on job roles from managing director to operations managers through to finance, sales and marketing managers.

They developed a sales and marketing strategy and pitched their fully-costed ideas in a Dragons’ Den-style presentation to BAE Systems managers, who played the role of members of the Joint Emergency Committee ��\\\" a fictional United Nations-style body responsible for responding to humanitarian and military emergencies.

Our Lady’s Roman Catholic High School impressed the Dragons so much with their model, the HBDU or Hovercraft Bomb Disposal Unit that was designed to safely capture land mines, that they were awarded the coveted winners trophy on the day. The judges were impressed with the team’s confident presentation and their unique design idea which included a vacuum that would scoop up and neutralise land mines.

Meanwhile, the team from Moor Park Business and Enterprise School wowed the judges with the development of their Rampage 5000 which was an underwater, amphibian vehicle designed to rescue people from floods and earthquake disasters.

Nicola Crowther, Make It Campaign Manager, said:

“Modern manufacturing has some fantastic career options for young people, which is exactly what the ‘Make It’ campaign has been successfully demonstrating over the past five years. All of the participating schools really rose to the challenge with some exciting, creative and very well-thought out ideas. I hope we’ve inspired some of the manufacturing stars of the future.”

Nigel Blenkinsop, Manufacturing Director at BAE Systems, said:

“Today has been a fitting way to celebrate the 50th ‘Make It’ enterprising challenge organised by the Manufacturing Institute. BAE Systems has been delighted to sponsor and support the initiative which helps drive up interest in a sometimes neglected career choice.

“Days like these live long in the imaginations of the young, and we know from experience they can sometimes be the trigger that marks the start of a career. Now, more than ever, we need to inspire our young people around the potential offered by manufacturing and engineering.”

Both schools will now go through to Make It’s Grand Regional Final to be held in summer 2012.

Click here to view photos from the event

Click here to watch a video from the event