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Department of Business, Innovation & Skills initiative gives A2 Computing and BTEC Business Michelin Visit an insight into a working factory

Before half term, students from A2 Computing and BTEC Business took a break from classroom studies to venture up to Campbell Road in Stoke in order to visit the Michelin factory. The visit was part of a nationwide initiative by Michelin which is also supported by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

The day was designed to give students an opportunity to see exactly what happens behind the four walls of a manufacturing giant and to look at career opportunities within the company. One thing which took students by surprise was the number of different roles within a working factory environment from engineering to finance as well as quality control and IT.

David Lee, a student who joined us from Blurton High School said; “We had a presentation from Michelin staff which showed us how a tyre is made. I was very surprised to see how you can go from nothing to having a tyre. It showed everything involved and gave us an insight into how the business works. We learnt a lot and it was a really good day”.

Azad Hasan who also attended the trip echoed David’s views. “It was good to learn from their expertise and it was really enjoyable”. Azad was also able to meet an apprentice within the finance department which got him thinking about his own future. “I will definitely be looking into apprenticeships with Michelin when I leave college”.

Rebecca Patterson who is in the first year of her BTEC Business attended the visit. “It was great to see the number of different jobs. I thought it would be all dirt and hard labour but I saw that there are a range of roles. I spoke to one lady who works in finance but she also goes onto the factory floor and does surveys”.

The visit has helped change Rebecca’s mind about what she wants to do as a career. “I wanted to do accountancy for a small firm” she said, “But now I would consider applying for a much bigger company. You have a better chance of meeting new people and learning about their backgrounds as well as how they got into their jobs”.

For all students who attended, it helped them get a better understanding of how what they learn in the classroom is put into practice in the working world.

Another highlight was meeting the company’s famous mascot, Bibendum (most commonly known as “The Michelin Man”).

The students’ tutor Jorawar Sanghera said; “It’s great to have such a large company right on our doorstep. We were able to walk to the event from the college and despite the rain soaking us all on the way, the lunch was enough to cheer the students up and the students were able to get a lot from the visit”.

For Rebecca and Azad, the trip also gave them their first foray into the media world as they were interviewed by journalists from BBC Midlands Today and Central News.