More than 450 young people from schools across the region took part in a virtual innovation masterclass followed by a day of discovery, creativity and hands-on engineering when North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College welcomed them to its annual TeenTech festival at the MIRA Technology Institute (MTI).
The event brought Year 8 and 9 pupils together with some of the biggest names in engineering, manufacturing, digital technology and media, giving them the chance to explore future careers in a setting designed to mirror the industries they hope to join.
Hosted this year by technology journalist Kate Russell, the festival filled the MTI campus with interactive demonstrations, live challenges and conversations between students and employers determined to inspire the next generation of innovators.
Industry partners including HORIBA MIRA, Triumph Motorcycles, Amazon Web Services, FluxSys, Jaguar Land Rover, HALDEX – SAF Holland Group, Coventry University Electric Revolution Skills Hub, and the college itself hosted activity stands throughout the day. Pupils explored motorcycle engineering components, tested vehicle simulation technology, experimented with AI and robotics, tried diagnostics software used in the transport industry and even stepped into the world of broadcast journalism, with help from Rise Academy, producing their own mock news inserts.
The festival also welcomed civic guests including Jodie Gosling MP for Nuneaton, the Mayor of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, Cllr Richard Flemming, and the Deputy Mayor of North Warwickshire Borough Council, Cllr Davina Ridley.
The festival continues our strong relationship with MTI where TeenTech events have run since 2019.
Sally Dixon, Executive Producer, TeenTech Festivals said: “It’s been a fantastic festival reaching hundreds of students across Warwickshire and Leicestershire. Watching them confidently pitch their own innovative ideas to industry experts is very exciting.
“We’re so appreciative of the effort made by all the participating companies to ensure young people see such a wide range of emerging technology in the automotive sector. It’s inspiring for everyone.”
MTI Operations Director Lisa Bingley said the institute was proud to host the festival once again and to see every part of the building in use. She said: “MTI exists to make advanced technology careers accessible and achievable, and watching students push themselves to explore new tools and ideas truly showcased why this event matters.
“The college and our partners want young people across the region to see that world‑class engineering and digital careers are right here in their own community – and that MTI is here to inspire them and help them take that first step.”
Marion Plant OBE FCGI, Principal and Chief Executive of North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College, said: “TeenTech at the MIRA Technology Institute shows young people that world-class engineering and digital careers are right here on their doorstep. By bringing industry and education together, we are raising aspirations, building confidence and helping the next generation see that their future in advanced technology starts here.”
The MTI is the result of a unique collaboration led by NWSLC and its partners HORIBA MIRA, Coventry University, the University of Leicester and Loughborough University, created to train future engineers and technologists in fields including electrification, sustainability and advanced automotive systems. On Tuesday, 24 February, the College was awarded a Queen Elizabeth Prize for Education from Their Majesties The King and Queen for equipping thousands of students and professional engineers with specialist new skills in demand from the UK’s automotive sector through the MIRA Technology Institute.
For more information about MTI visit https://miratechnologyinstitute.co.uk/ or to learn about NWSLC, visit: www.nwslc.ac.uk
About North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College
North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC) is a leading college group based in the Midlands. The group has seven Campuses located across Leicestershire and Warwickshire. Through the shared Mission, ‘to create success through learning’, the college is committed to working in partnership with local, regional, and national employers to ensure it delivers the skills training that industry needs today and in the future. NWSLC is a corporate member of the Chartered Institution for Further Education incorporated by Royal Charter October 2015.
NWSLC are proud to be rated ‘Good’ by Ofsted with the highest accolade of ‘Strong for Skills’ recognising the college’s positive contribution and responsiveness to meeting the local skills need, and ‘Outstanding’ for student Behaviour and Attitudes. This outstanding achievement reflects the college’s strong commitment to providing a “supportive and aspirational environment” where students, apprentices, and adult learners thrive.
For more information visit www.nwslc.ac.uk
About MIRA Technology Institute
MIRA Technology Institute (MTI) is the result of a unique collaboration led by North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College and its partners HORIBA MIRA, Coventry University, the University of Leicester and Loughborough University. Built with £9.5m investment from the UK Government’s Local Growth Fund via the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership Limited, the MTI is a specialist facility designed specifically to train the next generation of engineers in the latest automotive technology. It is helping to create specialist skills in some of the new emerging technology areas including electrification and driverless cars, ensuring a sustainable supply of future technical specialists and engineers. Its vision is to be a global centre of excellence where industry leaders, engineers, technicians and other business professionals working, or aspiring to work, in the automotive sector come to develop essential skills that are key to fuelling their career ambitions and their employer’s business success.