Open day helps to ‘engineer’ students’ career choices

The group of year 11 teenagers from Parkside Community School were there to see MANTRA, a specially-customised 14m-long HGV trailer packed with the latest machinery and simulators, designed to give aspiring young engineers a hands-on experience with cutting-edge technologies.

As a result, three have now made up their minds about their next step after leaving school, including Ashley Macefield, Daniel Nosrati, and Jake Phillips-Helmsley.

Student Ashley, 15, said: “I want to do engineering when I leave school and going to MANTRA helped me see all the different kinds of jobs and roles there are.

“It showed me that we can build anything if we put our mind to it.”

Deputy headteacher Rachel Hammond, who accompanied the students on their visit said: “It was a very successful visit, they were blown away by it.

“What was made evident is that these are very people the industry needs to employ because they are already familiar with and using modern technologies in video gaming.”

“What was amazing to learn during the visit was how much of a major player Chesterfield is in engineering and manufacturing and it showed the boys the job and career opportunities that exist 
locally, which is hugely important to young people who do not want to move away from home.”