Watch as 200 children make over 300 Qashqai cars on their own Nissan production lines at celebratory skills event

Only in this instance the children weren’t using hydraulic machinery and metal, but good old fashioned Lego.

Children from schools including George Washington Primary School and Gillas Lane Primary Academy in Houghton-Le-Spring were at the car manufacturing giant to celebrate ten years of Nissan helping to inspire the designers and engineers of the future through their Skills Foundation STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) programme.

Over the last decade around 100,000 children have taken part in 13 courses run by Sunderland’s largest employer.

During today’s celebratory event the children had to create their own production line with each team having to build different components to complete their Qashqai car. Members of the team were also assigned with the task of quality control to ensure the cars were built to the correct specification and standard.

The event, which took place surrounded by engineers on the real production line, certainly seemed to catch the imagination of the children.

Gillas Lane Year 5 pupil Alfie Dickinson, 10, said: “I’ve really enjoyed today’s event. I can’t decide whether the best bit was seeing all the cars being built or making our own cars.

“It has made me think about making cars and designing a car of the future.”

Year 6 pupil Charley Fuller, 11, said: “Today has been fun and it has been inspirational to be inside Nissan on the production line. I’ve enjoyed working as a team and building the Lego cars.

“If I was going to do something to do with making cars it would definitely be the design part.”

With each Lego Qashqai using 204 pieces, a total of 61,200 Lego bricks were expertly fitted during the hour-long event – a rate of about 1,000 bricks per minute.

Gillas Lane teacher and Design and Technology subject lead, Lauren Wharton, said: “The children have absolutely loved it. Being in Nissans manufacturing plant is a real inspiration for the children and it’s important for them to take part in a real hands-on task.

“We have a number of girls with us today and it’s important for them to see the opportunities available in STEM careers.”

Headteacher Kay Straughan added: “Over the last 10 years we’ve seen many of our school children attend various courses at the Nissan Skills Foundation.

“We believe that by introducing children to the exciting opportunities available in STEM-based careers at a young age, we’re providing them with the knowledge to inform their future career choices as they go through their educational journey.

“It’s also a brilliant opportunity for our students to gain hands-on and applied learning experiences outside of our school environment.”

The event was also an opportunity for Nissan bosses to reveal they are building a new classroom training facility and doubling their Skills Foundation STEM provision to 16,000 children per year thanks to a share of £14.6m funding.

The money is provided by MADE NE (Manufacturing, Automation, Digitalisation, Electrification North East) to create “world-leading training facilities that support the region's manufacturing sector”.

The Nissan plant’s managing director, Adam Pennick said: “The programme and today’s event is all about inspiring the next generation of engineers and designers.

“It’s a process that is working. We have dozens of staff working at Nissan today who have come through the Skills Foundation programme as well as hundreds across the wider industry.

“This funding will ensure the car manufacturing industry - that’s ourselves, our supply chains and wider partners - have the talent of the future to build those cars of the future.”

The event was also attended by Sunderland City Council’s cabinet member for Children's Services, Child Poverty and Skills, Councillor Michael Butler.

Cllr Butler said: “It’s fantastic to see so many children enjoying today’s event. Nissan is phenomenally important for our city and region and so it’s vital to inspire the next generation of designers and engineers to provide that workforce here in our city.”

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