Engagement Team in Action: National Manufacturing Day 2026

On National Manufacturing Day businesses across the UK open their doors for tours, talks, and wide-scale celebration of the sector.

This year has proved to be no different – just ask the members of our Engagement Team, who have joined in the fun at companies across England and Wales over the last few days.

Let’s see where another year of packed activities has landed our crew.

Leeds Manufacturing Festival

A celebration of National Manufacturing Day is just one of the events regularly taking place as part of Leeds Manufacturing Festival. With careers fairs, STEM showcases, and glitzy awards ceremonies on their calendar, LMF is always a highlight of the sector’s celebrations.

And this year’s Sponsors Reception & Dinner was no different. Attended by Engagement team members Amie Bridson and Mandeep Sandhu, the event brought together festival sponsors and their guests to celebrate the achievements of this year's festival. They were joined by the Rt Hon Robert Halfon, former Skills Minister and Member of Parliament, who delivered remarks on the remarkable year in local manufacturing.

“National Manufacturing Day feels like the right time to celebrate skills in the region as part of Leeds Manufacturing Festival,” said Amie.

“This initiative has been instrumental in bringing learners, employers, and academia together to support the education and skills landscape, and look forward to another great year,” added Mandeep.

Hydrogen South West

Advanced propulsion specialists IAAPS have a state-of-the-art facility where engineers draw from 40 years of research at the University of Bath to support the transport industry in its move to net zero.

This gave visitors the opportunity to visit the Bristol & Bath Science Park for a guided tour, as part of the Hydrogen South West Quarterly Members' meeting which took place on Wednesday.

Guests enjoyed a tour of the facility, and the chance to hear from different members of HSW representing local employers, as they provided updates from across the industry, including the exciting Green Shipping Project and the latest report on E fuels demand.

Haas Automation, Norwich

Over in Norwich, Jeff Baker visited one of the world’s largest machine tool manufacturers. Haas UK has a skilled workforce of dedicated certified engineers, who are always on the road to ensure their state-of-the-art technology remains in the best possible condition.

Jeff took a tour of the facility to see the latest developments in CNC machinery, and discuss operator shortages. The team at Haas UK showed off their new wares, and shared their solution to current market conditions – an intensive four-week course designed to get machinists up to speed.

“Today offered a clear demonstration of what can be achieved in such a short space of time,” said Jeff.

North East Automotive Alliance Expo 2026

Owen McAteer headed to Sunderland’s Beacon of Light – as did more than 100 exhibitors – to catch up on the latest developments in the North East automotive sector. Along with a series of main stage presentations from the region’s largest employers, there was the chance for employers to get advice on business growth from enterprise experts, and chat about all things supply chain with procurement teams.

Owen said: “Since Nissan's arrival 40 years ago, the North East has become a centre of automotive engineering and manufacturing excellence, with a strong and resilient supply chain developing world leading solutions and products. It was fantastic to see that celebrated today and to hear how the sector was future-proofing itself through diversification, and delivering the skills needed to thrive.”

Delivering on industry readiness with DWP

Earlier this week, Tabby Hanlon-Scott delivered a Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) webinar on 'Industry Readiness'. This awareness-raising session highlighted the importance of recognising potential and transferable skills for a potential career in engineering and manufacturing.

“We broke down key myths that surround the sector, so that no one feels it's an industry that isn't for them.”

Celebrating National Manufacturing Day remotely also meant that Tabby could tune in to some fantastic speakers as they showed their passion for Welsh manufacturing. Tabby also made a virtual trip to a careers fair via the ExpoVerse, hosted by Manufacturing Wales and built by One Step North. The virtual event is still live, as is the 3D business directory allowing young people and jobseekers to explore new careers.

“National Manufacturing Day is about showing that there’s a place for everyone in manufacturing, whatever their background or career path. At the same time, it gives us a great opportunity to showcase and celebrate the world-class manufacturing happening across Wales, and the positive impact it has on our economy and communities.”

Follow our LinkedIn page to see how Enginuity and EAL celebrated National Manufacturing Day.

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