Inside view

Over the course of today, thirty companies in the automotive sector will be throwing their doors open to teachers, careers advisors and, in some cases, students, as part of an initiative called See Inside Manufacturing. Launched by Vince Cable’s Department for Business, Innovation and Skills earlier this year, SIM is the latest attempt from government and industry to dispel the misconceptions surrounding engineering, technology and manufacturing, and present it as an attractive option for schoolchildren looking for a career.

This year is a single-sector pilot; today’s events are primarily aimed at teachers, while the companies involved will be inviting students during the third week of October. But there’s an encouraging range of companies taking part, from volume manufacturers like Ford, Honda and BMW’s Mini plant, to the premium producers like Bentley, Lotus, Jaguar Land Rover and Aston Martin, and including Formula 1 teams such as McLaren (which is also involving its new sports car offshoot McLaren Automotive) and Williams, plus specialist supply chain stalwarts like GKN Driveline and Ricardo.