The visit, held on 3 December, saw 16 students and four members of college staff spend two hours on site. During the tour, they met engineers from across the business and learned how a range of roles contribute to the design, build and long-term support of engineered solutions.
Akona engineers shared their career journeys, outlined their responsibilities within the company and demonstrated how different engineering disciplines collaborate throughout a project’s lifecycle. For many students, it was their first experience inside an engineering workplace, giving practical context to their studies. Several commented on the scale of the facility and the breadth of engineering roles on offer, noting they had not previously realised the variety of opportunities available within the sector.
The visit forms part of a wider collaboration between engineering and manufacturing employers and further education providers across Lancashire. Led by Charlotte Ayrton of Discover Engineering, the initiative aims to support T Level pathways and encourage young people to consider careers in engineering.
Michael Hall, head of European operations at Akona, said: “We have supported and collaborated with apprenticeship programmes for many years, so Akona and the wider Spiroflow group have a long history of helping young people entering the industry.
“Developing the workforce from a young age is increasingly important as we continue to battle for engineering talent. Several of our engineers have said they wished they’d had this level of understanding and guidance earlier in their careers, as it’s not always obvious to young people what engineering roles actually exist in the real world. Visits like this help bridge that gap and give students a clearer picture of the opportunities available to them.”
Further student visits are planned for early next year, with Akona keen to continue supporting similar initiatives where operationally possible.