Next steps links
Construction
We benefit from the products of the construction industry all day and every day, whether at home, work or somewhere in between. Our built environment – including roads, bridges, houses and offices – depends on the skill, innovation and enterprise of those who work in construction, from engineers to planners and from architects to builders.Electrical goods
Innovative electrical products can make life easier at work and at home: where would we be without computers, washing machines, microwaves, mobile phones and hairdryers? These links will help you get switched on to the electrical goods industry.
Energy
Considerable effort is going into making more efficient and clean use of traditional energy sources, as well as exploring sustainable alternatives such as harnessing energy from the sun, wind and plant oils. These links will help you find out more about the energy industry.
Food and drink
From the staple to the exotic, new products and variations on existing lines appear on supermarket shelves every day. Food and drink manufacturers range from small processors to multinational companies, and with consumers increasingly interested in what they eat and drink, there is considerable scope for innovation and enterprise.
Natural resources
Without enterprising people keen to discover, investigate and mine raw materials; to transform them into usable products; develop new composites and challenge traditional thinking on their uses, much of what we take for granted today wouldn't exist.
Paper and packaging
Despite an abundance of gadgetry, paper remains a major feature of our everyday lives. Innovation and enterprise are critical to creating biodegradable and environmentally friendly paper and packaging solutions that protect the planet as well as the product.
Pharmaceuticals and healthcare
From life-saving drugs to lipstick, dental floss to detergent, the pharmaceuticals and healthcare industries demand constant innovation and enterprise. The expanding market for natural healthcare is seeing a growth in business start-ups, and world-class multinational companies are always on the lookout for enterprising people.
Textiles
Clothes, soft furnishings and parachutes are just some of the products that are dependent on the textiles industry. Smart textiles are serious business: waterproof, breathable, mouldable, inflammable, seamless, all the colours of the rainbow and as strong as steel - the opportunities for innovation and enterprise are boundless.
Transport
The world may be your oyster, but do you ever think about why? Cars, trains, planes, boats and bicycles are just some of the ways we’ve come up with to get from A to B. If you want to make going places safer, cleaner, easier and more comfortable then you could be a real high flyer in transport.
Other useful links
There are a host of organisations and initiatives out there that don’t serve just one sector, but cover many if not all aspects of manufacturing and engineering. Some of these organisations offer grants, courses, competitions and opportunities to spend time in industry.