Manufacturing & Engineering – Bright Future Career Prospects for your Students?
Career decisions for young people are becoming increasingly difficult, with our graduates and school leavers often facing a difficult uphill battle into the world of work. Guiding your students along the right path is a huge responsibility, but with excellent career prospects and a variety of roles to choose from, encouraging them into the world of manufacturing and engineering could be a well-informed decision.
At MEGA, we’re here to provide the tools and resources to help your students make that choice. MEGA will provide everything you need to know about Mid Ulster’s fast paced manufacturing industry as well as the opportunities available to your students, whatever their age, stage or qualifications.
What’s so great? MEGA Future Careers
Have your students ever considered a career in advanced manufacturing and engineering?
Well, MEGA is a great place to start, helping young people find excellent, well-paid job opportunities and long-term careers. This website will show you how to make the most out of MEGA Careers and show you how it can benefit your students and give them a better understanding of the industry.
There are many exciting routes in this constantly developing industry, making it a very diverse and accessible industry to a range of talents and abilities. Career development and average salary in the manufacturing industry are higher than in many other sectors so the prospects are much stronger than many of the careers young people might traditionally associate with big pay packets!
What’s so great?
Manufacturing is a great place to work. It’s an industry that satisfies those who enjoy doing, and it’s one of the largest sectors in Northern Ireland.
Manufacturing employs 21% of the population in Mid Ulster and the sector delivers around £1.67 billion GVA to the economy.
On our Students page you’ll find lots of reasons why it’s great to work in this industry – why not talk these through with your students so they fully understand the benefits of manufacturing and engineering, not just to their own career paths, but to the economy of this local area. Help them become a part of a better future for us all.
MEGA Ambassadors
ABOUT THE TRAINING PROGRAMME
The MEGA Ambassador programme came about as a result of Barclays 2018 report ‘A New Image Of Manufacturing’. The research showed that students lacked any real understanding of what local manufacturing and engineering businesses really did. The report revealed that Only 6% of 16-23 year olds across the UK would consider manufacturing as a career. There is clearly a very low level of awareness of the wide range of jobs and the sheer variety of career opportunities on offer. Manufacturing simply isn’t on the students’ radar.
The MEGA Ambassador programme aims to address this gap in knowledge by giving school students an insight into the world of manufacturing and engineering through school visits from a MEGA ambassador.
HOW AN AMBASSADOR CAN HELP YOU
The MEGA Ambassador programme aims to address this gap in knowledge by giving school students an insight into the world of manufacturing and engineering through school visits from a MEGA ambassador. MEGA Ambassadors can be booked to visit your school with the aim of encouraging students to think about future study and career options, and to think about choosing the kind of courses valued in advanced manufacturing businesses. We want them to be aware of what’s on offer and consider the education options and many vocational courses and qualifications available in secondary, further education and even higher education that open the door to a successful career within the industry.
Training Courses
A wide range of manufacturing and engineering courses are available from our local colleges, universities and training providers, giving your students access to first class opportunities right on their doorstep.
Apprenticeships
IS AN APPRENTICE THE CORRECT ROUTE FOR YOUR STUDENT?
For some students, an academic path will present them with the best chance of a successful career, going from school into third level education and entering the world of work with a degree qualification.
For many others, an apprenticeship route will give them a better route to employment, allowing students to learn the skills, knowledge and behaviours required to perform their role whilst completing off-the-job studying in partnership with a local training provider.
HOW DO APPRENTICESHIPS WORK?
Most of the time, an apprentice will be just like another member of the team, working and learning ‘on the job’. But at least 20% of their paid time will be dedicated to off-the-job learning – advancing their knowledge and giving them skills they can bring back to the workplace.
Discuss the benefits of an apprenticeship route for your students here and evaluate if this could be the right path for them.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF DOING AN APPRENTICESHIP?
- A widely respected and industry recognised qualification
- Education and training that will not cost a penny. Even the degree apprenticeships!
- 1-6 years of industry experience
- A full time wage
- Functional skills qualifications in Maths and English
- Access to apprenticeship student discounts
Young Innovators Programme - Primary School Pupils
MEGA is pleased to invite Mid Ulster Primary Schools to participate in a programme introducing students to the world of engineering. This is an opportunity to get your students enthused about engineering from a very early stage in their school lives. They will have the opportunity to get involved in hands-on, practical problem-solving activities on a topic of their own choice, all delivered in a fun and engaging way!
More details to follow. This programme will be available from January 2021.
MEGA Resources
MEGA insight into Work Experience
