Nissan is celebrating a remarkable milestone as its acclaimed Skills Foundation marks its 10th anniversary, having already inspired over 100,000 young minds through engaging STEM (science, technology, engineering, and maths) experiences. In a bold move to expand its reach even further, the initiative will now double its annual provision to 16,000 children – a key step as part of the wider MADE NE skills project.
Launched in 2015 by King Charles, then Prince of Wales, the Skills Foundation began as a single hands-on workshop with modest ambitions. A decade on, it has grown into a nationally recognised programme offering 13 diverse courses for children and young people aged six to eighteen, aimed at nurturing the engineering talent of tomorrow.
To celebrate the anniversary, Nissan welcomed over 200 students from across the North East to its Sunderland Plant, where they took part in a unique LEGO building challenge. Side-by-side with the actual production line, the pupils assembled 300 Nissan Qashqai models from LEGO – each one made with 204 pieces, totalling a staggering 61,200 bricks fitted in just one hour.
The expansion of the Skills Foundation is a cornerstone of Nissan involvement in MADE NE – a £14.6 million project designed to future-proof the North East’s manufacturing workforce, with a focus on electrification, automation, and digitalisation. A new classroom at the Nissan SASMI facility near the Sunderland Plant will soon welcome even more aspiring young engineers.
With a decade of proven impact and a clear eye on the future of electric vehicle manufacturing, Nissan commitment to nurturing young talent continues to go from strength to strength – and Ancaster Group is proud to support and celebrate such inspiring industry leadership.
