Racing towards a future
career in motorsports
through the Silverstone Park
Schools Programme

Alfie has always been passionate about motorsports, so when employers from Silverstone Park visited his school, Sponne School in Northamptonshire, he couldn’t miss the opportunity to speak to the businesses at the heart of British motorsports.

What started as a brief introduction to Silverstone Park, the globally renowned innovation campus, and the people behind the cutting edge technology and advanced engineering businesses on site, quickly sparked Alfie’s curiosity as he realised that his passion for motorsports and his interest in engineering could align and become a potential future career.

Alfie said: “I’ve been interested in computers and maths since primary school, so I had already decided the route I wanted to go down: engineering or a related sector. When the businesses came to visit school, it made me realise that there were so many different careers and businesses in engineering and related fields, so I wanted to find out more.”

A year on, Alfie had the opportunity to visit Silverstone Park as part of the Schools Programme and get a behind-the-scenes tour of some of the technology, engineering and manufacturing businesses on site. On the tour Alfie met professionals from a range of businesses and heard about their different career journeys. He also took part in hands-on workshops and activities designed to provide an insight into the skills needed to succeed in the industry.

After the visit to Silverstone Park, Alfie was more intrigued than ever about a career in STEM. He applied for a work experience placement at Silverstone Composites, a single source solution provider with industry expertise in the design and manufacture of carbon fibre, who have long been supporters of the Silverstone Park Schools Programme.

Marcus Trofimov, Managing Director at Silverstone Composites said: “When we met Alfie, we were really impressed with the insightful questions he asked and that he took the initiative to enquire about work experience opportunities. His enthusiasm for motorsports shone through so we were delighted to have him join the business for a week where he gained experience in every department to create his own model race car made from carbon fibre.

“We’re passionate about investing in young talent by creating opportunities for young people to gain skills and experience, which is why we’re delighted to support the Silverstone Park Schools Programme. Our industry needs passionate and skilled individuals to continue to drive innovation, and a great way to find that future talent is to inspire and nurture young people who have a genuine interest in the sector.”

According to the Institute of Engineering Technology, 46% of employers believe that young people do not have the “technical skills” or “soft skills” required to work in their industry. Yet, it is vital for the future of the industry that it has access to a strong talent pipeline of skilled individuals. Development of these essential employability skills begins long before college or university, so employers who invest their time and share their expertise with young people at secondary school age through programmes such as the Silverstone Park Schools Programme can help shape the future workforce in years to come.

Chantal-Lawren Welch, Marketing Manager at Silverstone Park said: “It’s been brilliant to witness Alife’s journey through the programme, seeing him build his confidence and channel his passion into work experience within the industry. His engagement with businesses on-site and his enthusiasm for exploring the different careers here at Silverstone Park is testament to the power of long-term programmes such as the Schools Programme and shows the tangible outcomes of multiple careers interventions throughout different stages of the educational journey. We engage with over 1,000 young people each year at Silverstone Park through the programme so it’s brilliant to see the business community come together to excite and inspire so many young people about careers in STEM.

“We’re delighted that Alfie had such a rewarding experience and we hope he continues to follow his passion. We’ll be ready to welcome him back should his career bring him here in future!”

Now Alfie is in Year 10, preparing for his GCSEs and looking for more opportunities to further develop his skills and gain work experience. After meeting role models from a variety of businesses who have been on different career journeys, he’s considering applying for apprenticeships and vocational courses at college for his next steps as he’d like to gain as much experience as possible before joining the world of work.

We’re excited to follow Alfie’s journey!

The Silverstone Park Schools Programme is a multi-year careers education programme that connects local partner schools with employers at Silverstone Park, designed and delivered by Ahead Partnership. The programme seeks to break down barriers and encourage local young people to explore careers in STEM, helping to build a strong future talent pipeline. It provides students from Year 8 to Year 9 with careers education tailored to the stage of their educational journey. This includes behind-the-scenes tours of businesses at Silverstone Park as well as hands-on workshops and activities which support students to develop essential employability skills such as confidence, time management, collaboration, and problem solving. You can find out more about the Silverstone Park Schools Programme here.