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Ideal Heating teams up with HEY Children’s University to inspire young people in home city
We teamed up with Hull and East Yorkshire (HEY) Children’s University, to host a business experience day for local primary school pupils to open their eyes to exciting futures available to them.
HEY Children’s University is a charity which aims to build the confidence, self-esteem and aspirations of young people by providing them with a diverse range of experiences outside the classroom.
We were delighted to welcome 30 Year five pupils from St Nicholas Primary School in Cottingham Road, Hull, to our site on National Avenue for a jam-packed day of interactive activities to showcase the wide range of highly-skilled, rewarding careers which are available on their doorstep.
The day kicked off with a tour of our manufacturing operations, followed by a presentation about the variety of career opportunities we offer.
Following a picnic lunch, pupils got hands on with a range of activities, including building electrical circuits, making their own laser-printed key rings and 3D modelling, as well as taking part in a sustainability game focused on how they can help to make their home more environment friendly.
Our Engineering Director Helen Villamuera said: “We’re delighted to work with Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University to help inspire young children in our area.
“We’re keen to show young people that there are a wide variety of different careers available at Ideal Heating. The easy assumption is that the only jobs here are those in manufacturing and engineering, but there are many more – from research and development, to marketing, HR and administration.
“The children were all so receptive and it was great to hear so many of them asking thoughtful questions and being so interested in what we do.
“It would be fantastic to see some of these young people coming back to us in future to work for Ideal Heating.”
The day’s activities were led by one of our apprentices, Stanley Callaghan who has recently completed the fourth year of his Level Five maintenance technician and tool manufacturer apprenticeship.
The twenty-year-old spoke to pupils about his journey into the world of work.
Engineering Services Apprentice Technician Stanley said: “Being a young adult who is still in education myself, I think it helped the group to relate to me and see that they could actually achieve their dream career, just as I have done.
“I have really enjoyed my apprenticeship with Ideal. It has given me the chance to gain my qualifications while earning at the same time.
“I hope the visit has got the children excited about their futures and shown them that highly-skilled, rewarding jobs and careers are realistic and achievable for them.”
We employ around 1,100 people, with 800 of those in Hull, and have been located in the city since the business was founded in 1906. We were thrilled to have the opportunity to work with some of the city’s younger generation and show them the opportunities available to them right here in Hull.
We’re also leading the way in low carbon heating solutions and are at the forefront of changes within the heating industry to create a more sustainable future, which is a topic we were keen to highlight to the pupils.
Sarah Brodie, Partnerships Manager at HEY Children’s University, said: “Ideal Heating is one of the biggest, longest-standing companies in Hull and it’s fantastic to show the children that they have a genuine opportunity in future to access jobs at a business which is such a well-known, household name.
“Sustainability and the environment are really important topics for young people to learn about and Ideal is at the forefront of the heating industry’s transition to green energy, so it’s great to show the children that there are opportunities in that sector here in Hull.
“The day was incredibly well thought out and we’d like to say a huge thank you to Helen and the team at Ideal Heating for planning and delivering such an amazing day.
“When the children leave saying things like ‘this has been the best school trip ever’ and ‘I definitely want to work here when I’m older’ you know you’ve done a good job!”
Emily Mowforth, Year Five Teacher at St Nicholas Primary School, said: “It has been a fantastic day for the children. They have loved seeing the facilities and getting hands-on experiences which they wouldn’t get in the classroom.
“The staff at Ideal have all been great - they’ve been so welcoming and they answered all the children’s questions.
“A huge thank you to both Ideal Heating and HEY Children’s University for providing this amazing opportunity.”