EEF launches free ‘Top Trumps’ cards to drive interest in manufacturing careers

EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation

EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation, has created a set of free ‘Top Trumps’ cards to drive awareness and interest in careers in manufacturing and engineering.

Free for anyone to download, the cards are designed to be a fun and informative way to kick start more meaningful conversations between young people, parents and teachers about the wealth of manufacturing career options in the UK.

The move is in response to the sector’s yawning skills gap, with firms routinely struggling to get the quantity and quality of job applicants required to fill vital and well-paid roles. Manufacturers are particularly keen to attract more women into the sector as the number currently choosing manufacturing as a career is particularly low.

The series of cards spans 20 roles typically found in UK manufacturing firms, providing vital statistics such as the salary, bonuses and the best bits of the job. The roles are diverse, ranging from engineering and technical through to HR and accounts.

The cards show that a skilled machinist could expect to earn around £24,000 a year with an annual bonus on top, while an engineering manager could expect earnings of around £56,000 plus a bonus. A buyer could expect just under £30,000 a year, while a manufacturing HR Director’s earnings average around £70,000 a year.

Neil Withey, Director of Training at EEF, says: “These cards are a fun and informative way of sparking interest in manufacturing careers. They are designed to be a talking point for young people, parents and teachers and should hopefully boost awareness of the depth and diversity of career opportunities available.

“We want to get the message out there that manufacturing is a great choice for ambitious, creative and talented young people. Other countries are ahead of us in this - the UK is playing catch up. We think these cards will be an eye opener and I would urge people to take a look and think about who they could encourage into an inspiring manufacturing career.”