A group of our Year 10 and 11 students recently had an incredible opportunity to visit British Steel for a “World of Work” day, gaining first-hand insight into life at the Scunthorpe plant and exploring the wide range of apprenticeships offered by this leading European manufacturer.

Employing over 4,000 people directly—and supporting more than 10,000 jobs across the wider production chain—British Steel plays a vital role in the industry, and our students got to see exactly why.

The day began with an engaging team challenge before students were introduced to the raw materials used in steel production. They learnt about the blast furnaces—each uniquely named after Queens—and followed the fascinating journey of how raw materials are transformed into different types of steel.

Students also heard from Helen, an experienced engineer with over 20 years in the industry. She shared her inspiring career journey across multiple departments, highlighting the breadth of opportunities available. From Engineering to Procurement, Accounting, HR, and Lab Technician roles, students discovered there is far more to the industry than they might have first imagined.

A competitive “job sort” activity saw students working in teams to decide which roles were found on site—sparking plenty of debate over jobs like draughtsman, crane driver, and plumber!

The excitement continued with a hands-on engineering challenge: in groups of five, students had to design and build a structure at least 1.2 metres tall that could hold a golf ball for one minute, using only paper and tape. Congratulations to the winning team, BOV Builders (Charlie B, Alfie, Will, Finley & Tyler), for their impressive creation!

The highlight for many was the site tour itself. Equipped with hi-vis jackets, hard hats, and safety glasses, students explored the apprenticeship workshop—covering electrical, mechanical, fabrication, and welding disciplines—before moving on to the structural workshops. Here, they saw maintenance, refurbishment, and design work in action, as well as the astonishing sight of rail stock measuring up to 108 metres in length being transported across the site.

It was a truly informative, engaging, and inspiring day—one that gave our students a real taste of the world of work and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead.