David Mundell MP has launched the We Made It! competition for schools in his constituency to encourage young people to think about a career in manufacturing.
The competition invites young people aged 13-16 to submit designs and ideas for a gadget, gizmo, toy or tool they'd like to see made. Any invention, no matter how creative, is welcome and as long as it is realistic enough to be made there is a chance it could be!
The entries will be judged by Mr Mundell and the winner will be entered into a nation-wide competition judged by a group of organisations involved in manufacturing, including Boeing, The Manufacturing Institute, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Finmeccanica, Renewable UK, the Confederation of Paper Industries and Lloyds Banking Group. The organisations are all partners in the Dods Manufacturing Dialogue, which is working to increase interest in manufacturing skills in schools.
The best entries nationwide will be invited to a Fab Lab, the outstanding facilities provided by MIT and the Manufacturing Institute, where their designs will be manufactured and brought to life.
In the autumn, the winner of our local competition will have the opportunity to attend a reception and awards ceremony in parliament, where they will have the opportunity to meet the heads of the manufacturing organisations involved in the project and learn more about a career in manufacturing.
David Mundell MP said:
“I am pleased to be supporting this project because manufacturing is a vital aspect of the economic recovery. All too often it is overlooked as an area of employment because it is wrongly seen as being low skilled. Now more than ever we need to encourage young people to be creative, particularly in business. This completion raises awareness of the possibilities out there and gives the winner the opportunity to promote their design.”
To find out more and to enter the competition, pupils can visit the competition's website,www.wemadeituk.co.uk
Picture shows David with pupils and acting Head Mr McFadyen at Langholm Academy.