National Manufacturing Day

Every year, WYMS hosts a large 'National Manufacturing Day' event at our facility in Brighouse, West Yorkshire in celebration of the Make UK National initiative. With the goal to introduce secondary school students to the sector through a large showcase of local manufacturing and engineering companies and career paths. In 2025, over 500 students, from 25 schools and 32 exhibitors from 12 different industries were on site during the day. The event gave young people a hands-on look at the exciting world of manufacturing and engineering, with interactive activities, live demonstrations, and the chance to meet employers and apprentices from across the region.

2025 Gallery

A glimpse of #NMD2025
Terberg DTS Lego challenge View STEM Racing View University of Bradford - Spot the RoboDog View 3M Buckley Innovation Centre View A Fawcett Precision Engineering View Aqualand Industries View AW Hainsworths View Thomas Broadbent and Sons View Byworth Boilers View Calrec Audio and Josh Fenton-Glynn, MP for Calder Valley View Cengar View The Red Zone - Manufacturers' Showcase View Colchester Machine Tool Solutions View Crompton Controls View E3 Recruitment View Electra Commercial Vehicles View Electroparts View The Green Zone - Vehicle Showcase View Hako - Quick-Change Challenge View The Blue Zone - The Industry 4.0 Hub View Imageco Visual Imaging View Koso Kent Introl View Lean Control Innovations View Matrix TSL View MPM View OE Electrics View RTC North - STEM Hub View Solupak View Spenborough Engineering - Tipper View TaeguTec View The Textile Centre of Excellnce View The Yellow Zone - The Engineering Centre View Winder Power View Team WYMS View

WYMS celebrates National Manufacturing Day 2025: A showcase of innovation and opportunity

On Thursday, 25th September, West Yorkshire Manufacturing Services (WYMS) hosted a dynamic ‘Showcase’ event at their facility in Brighouse. 

This event, that brought schools, their pupils and local manufacturing and engineering business together, was in support of the annual UK-wide initiative, National Manufacturing Day, organised by Make UK. 

Over 500 students, from 25 schools and 32 exhibitors from 12 different industries were on site during the day. 

The event gave young people a hands-on look at the exciting world of manufacturing and engineering, with interactive activities, live demonstrations, and the chance to meet employers and apprentices from across the region. Pupils discovered how careers in manufacturing, engineering, design, digital technologies and more can shape the future – and how those opportunities are right here in West Yorkshire.

Mark Lewis, CEO of WYMS, expressed his enthusiasm for the event: “Supporting NMD in this way was a fantastic opportunity to showcase what manufacturing really means to West Yorkshire. It’s about inspiring the next generation, connecting with our communities, and demonstrating the innovation and skills that drive our local economy.” 

Local Member of Parliament for Calder Valley, Josh Fenton-Glynn, also attended the event, underscoring the importance of manufacturing in the region's economic development. He remarked, "It was inspiring to stand among young people from Calder Valley and see how excited they were to learn about the huge range of opportunities for them in manufacturing and engineering with local companies. Earlier this week the Prime Minister announced our government's commitment to high quality apprenticeships. The rest of the country can learn a lot from West Yorkshire Manufacturing Services who do a brilliant job here, working in partnership with Calderdale College and local companies to bridge the skills gap and make sure our workforce represents the very best of British manufacturing."

The NMD event at WYMS not only celebrated the achievements of the manufacturing sector but also reinforced the commitment to fostering a skilled and innovative workforce in West Yorkshire. As the industry continues to evolve, initiatives like National Manufacturing Day play a pivotal role in shaping the future of manufacturing in the UK.

By opening doors to schools and shining a light on the wide range of opportunities within the sector, WYMS hopes the day will encourage pupils to think differently about their next steps. Whether through apprenticeships, further education, or training, manufacturing has roles that suit all kinds of skills and interests.

S Wilson, Beckfoot School
The whole thing was amazing from start to finish. Our students had some great conversations with employers and trainers, who were so welcoming and made our students feel confident to ask questions. Organisation and communication across the morning (and in the run up) were brilliant and staff couldn't have been more helpful during the event.
N Jackson, Corrocoat
Our first time at this event and it was great to see the enthusiasm from the WYMS team and other exhibitors. The children we spoke to were very polite and engaged, I'm sure some will go on to have very bright futures in engineering!
A Ripper, Bruntcliffe Academy
The event was amazing! The students loved it. Will be excited to see what next year brings.
J Jaques
We thoroughly enjoyed the event, hopefully the students got an insight into various Manufacturing sectors and what is available to them in the future.