With 1,645 manufacturing firms in Leeds, the city is the third largest manufacturing centre in the country by local authority area, with 29,000 people directly employed in this sector

Recruitment of fresh talent, developing skills for the future and bringing young people into manufacturing are top of the agenda for manufacturing employers, perhaps more so now than ever before. The legacy of the pandemic, the EU Transition Agreement and the changes being brought by Industry 4.0 mean that it's more important than ever to raise the profile of the sector and promote the careers in manufacturing to schools, college students and young people.

The Leeds Manufacturing Festival aims to promote the diversity of the Leeds manufacturing sector and the range and depth of opportunities that careers in manufacturing offer through a number of events and activities for young people. For employers, it provides the opportunity to engage with schools and colleges to meet the next generation of manufacturing talent.