Bentley Motors

(Crewe. 10 October 2011)

 Bentley Motors today showed the diversity of career paths on offer in the automotive manufacturing sector. Children from surrounding schools were invited to the Company’s Crewe headquarters to experience some of the skills and craftsmanship necessary in the creation of the world’s finest motor cars. The event formed part of a combined Government-industry initiative, ‘See Inside Manufacturing’, which aims to inspire and encourage young people to consider careers in manufacturing, especially within the automotive sector.
Business Secretary, Rt Hon Dr Vince Cable MP, said:
“For too many young people the word manufacturing is a turn off. A worrying poll out last week found that only one out of ten children aged 11 to 14 thought that engineering was an important job and even ranked being a politician as a better choice of career!
"We are determined to shake up old fashioned views of manufacturing. Through the Government's See Inside Manufacturing campaign and Bentley’s event at Crewe, we will give young people the chance to see the exciting face of modern manufacturing which is highly skilled, high tech and highly paid.”
110 pupils aged between 10 and 15 tried their hand at different skills used by Bentley. Five ‘Have a Go’ areas were created where children could try activities such as stitching a steering wheel, assembling a Bentley V8 engine rocker shaft, CAD drawing and clay modeling an alloy wheel in the same fashion as Bentley’s own design team.
Together with their teachers, the pupils were then given a tour of the facilities where they were able to see for themselves how cars such as the new Continental GT and the unique Mulsanne are created, with their unparalleled levels of quality, craftsmanship and engineering excellence. The children were also able to see how technology has evolved in the automotive sector by comparing the latest products from the luxury British marque with two heritage cars – including W. O. Bentley’s own 8 Litre - all of which were on display in front of the main entrance.
Speaking about the event, Member of the Board for Personnel, Christine Gaskell, said:
“The automotive sector is a fantastic industry in which to pursue a career. The diversity of job opportunities is incredible and the support available to young people considering this option is now significant. The UK is home to most of the world’s high luxury car manufacturers as the skill levels we demand are unmatched. We want to ensure those skills are passed on to a new generation and hope initiatives such as “See Inside” will help inspire the young people we will need”.
ENDS
Notes to editors
1. Bentley Motors is the third largest R&D investor in the UK's automotive sector and the 18th largest nationally. The company employs almost 4,000 people in Crewe which is home to all its operations including design, R&D, engineering and production. The combination of fine craftsmanship, using skills that have been handed down through generations, alongside engineering expertise and cutting-edge technology is unique to UK luxury vehicle manufacturers such as Bentley. It is also an example of high-value British manufacturing at its best. Bentley exports over £500m worth of goods every year to established markets like the US, as well as emerging markets such as China and South America.
2. Bentley’s global sales to August 2011 increased by 31 % on the same period last year with 4016 cars delivered to customers. The surge in sales has been driven by demand for Bentley's newly launched Continental GT – which is now available in all markets and accounts for just under half of all sales. The popularity of the brand in the Chinese region continues to increase, with sales up 67% and passing the 1000 mark for the first time ever. However, every major market saw growth with the Americas up 36% and Europe up 35%, led by resurgent sales in Germany which have increased by two thirds. With the imminent arrival of the new Continental GTC, Bentley expects to increase its overall sales by around 40% in 2011.

For further information about this press release please contact:
Mike Hawes – Director, Corporate & Government Affairs
Mike.Hawes@Bentley.co.uk +44 (0) 1270 535 287

Franziska Rothe – Government & Corporate Affairs Manager
Franziska.Rothe@Bentley.co.uk +44 (0) 1270 656 594

For further information on Bentley please go to www.bentleymedia.com

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