Manufacturing Day Ireland is a nationwide Ibec initiative that sees manufacturers across the country open their doors to students, giving the next generation a first-hand look at the sector and the careers it offers.
With manufacturing facing a growing skills and talent gap, the day is about changing outdated perceptions and showing young people that modern manufacturing is high-tech, creative and full of opportunity, much of it right on their doorstep. On Friday 2nd October, there are events happening all over Ireland, and DesignPro Automation is proud to be taking part.
DesignPro welcomes students from local schools as part of our educational outreach programme.
The importance of educational outreach
On the day, DesignPro Automation will welcome pupils from a local school to our facility in Rathkeale, Co. Limerick, for a two-hour behind-the-scenes look at what modern manufacturing really involves.
As Ireland’s largest Irish-owned precision automation and machine-building company, we design and build the advanced systems used by the world’s leading medical device manufacturers. Founded in Rathkeale in 2004, we remain deeply rooted in our community, and educational outreach is central to how we invest in the region’s future.
This visit is not a once-off. We host local secondary and primary schools throughout the year because we believe the best way to challenge outdated ideas about factory work is to let young people see it for themselves. Today’s manufacturing is smart, creative and problem-driven, and it offers genuine, rewarding careers close to home.
Nothing illustrates that better than our own team. Three of our current staff first came to DesignPro on a school visit just like this one. From there they progressed through work placement and apprenticeship/college before joining us as full-time employees. Their journey shows pupils exactly where a spark of early curiosity can lead, and that engineering careers are available right here in the Mid-West, without ever having to leave home.
Paul Collins, Founder, DesignPro Automation.
What the day will involve
The visit will run for approximately two hours and is structured to give pupils a real feel for the business, the people and the technology.
We will begin in our boardroom with a welcome and introduction to the company, led by our HR Manager and Production Manager. Pupils will learn what DesignPro does, the kinds of roles that make a manufacturing business work, and the many pathways available, from engineering and quality to logistics, administration and management.
The group will then head out onto the floor for a guided facility tour. Here they will meet members of our team and see the machines currently in production up close, getting a first-hand sense of the design, engineering and precision that goes into every build.
We will finish back in the boardroom with a relaxed student Q&A, giving pupils the chance to ask our team anything about the work, the technology and the career journeys behind it. And, of course, there will be treats for everyone to round off the visit.
Our goal for the day is simple, we want to open minds as well as doors. By showing the next generation what a modern Irish manufacturing company looks like, we hope to plant the idea that a future in this industry is exciting, achievable and right on their doorstep.
Discover more about the initiative on IBEC’s website.
