15 October 2024
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Students, teachers and careers advisers from local schools and colleges were among the visitors to Armstrong Fluid Technology in Droitwich as part of National Manufacturing Day 2024.
As well as providing information about careers in manufacturing to young people and more experienced workers interested in a career change, the open day also gave the community an opportunity to understand more about the businesses on their doorstep.
Visitors to the factory in Pointon Way took part in a series of events aimed at giving them an insight into how today’s modern manufacturing businesses operate, and the career opportunities available in Droitwich. The day included a tour of the manufacturing plant and visits to the operations control room and project engineering department, followed by a virtual tour of the Armstrong facility in Manchester. Visitors also watched a timelapse video which demonstrated how the company assembles its packaged plantrooms, which are shipped across the world.
Ian Harris, Production Training Team Leader, was on hand to explain the job opportunities and apprenticeship programmes available at the Droitwich site. He said: “It was a fantastic event. There is a growing interest in the apprenticeship route into employment, and this was a perfect opportunity for people to get a real feel for manufacturing as a career choice.
"Students didn’t know quite what to expect, thinking the factory might be noisy and dirty, but touring the manufacturing plant really opened their eyes. Visitors commented on how clean and organised everything is, and were amazed at the size and scale of the products manufactured here. There was a lot of interest in the highly-advanced technology involved in today’s manufacturing processes, especially the computer-based 3D-modelling systems and AI simulations we use during design.”
Armstrong Fluid Technology relocated its factory to Droitwich in 2021 when its operations outgrew its previous site in Halesowen. The company manufactures packaged heating, ventilation and air conditioning solutions for the data centre, gas transmission, commercial, district energy and other markets. The Droitwich site is one of eight manufacturing facilities on four continents, and Armstrong has employees around the world.
Droitwich-based employee Faye Joule was able to share her experience of launching a career with the company. She said: “I joined Armstrong just over six years ago. I was straight out of college, feeling the pressure to follow the crowd and go to university, but had no idea what I wanted to do or study.
"I found Armstrong’s business admin apprenticeship on the GOV UK website; it sounded right up my street so I applied! I’d already had a few interviews elsewhere but nothing felt quite right, but when I had the interview with Armstrong, it was the first place I could see myself working at. The opportunity allowed me to gain experience in a work environment, every task I was doing I could use to build my business admin apprenticeship portfolio, all while earning a wage.
“My job role has changed a few times over the past six years. I’m now Project Document Controller, working in the projects and engineering team, providing support to the project managers. It is a completely different job from when I first started, but my exposure to admin across the business gave me the tools I needed to step into this role. There are many paths you can go down in this sector, so it is well worth finding out more.”
