Ideal Heating teams up with HEY Children’s University to inspire young people in home city

Leading Hull business Ideal Heating is helping inspire the next generation by opening their eyes to exciting futures available to them.

Working in partnership with Hull and East Yorkshire (HEY) Children’s University, Ideal Heating welcomed local primary school pupils to the company’s headquarters in Hull for a business experience day, and a valuable insight into the world of work.

HEY Children’s University is a charity which aims to build the confidence, self-esteem and aspirations of young people by providing them with a diverse range of experiences outside the classroom.

Ideal welcomed 30 Year five pupils from St Nicholas Primary School in Cottinhgam Road, Hull, to its site on National Avenue for a jam-packed day of interactive activities to showcase the wide range of highly-skilled, rewarding careers which are available on their doorstep.

The day kicked off with a tour of Ideal’s impressive manufacturing operations, followed by a presentation about the variety of career opportunities on offer at the domestic and commercial heating specialist.

Following a picnic lunch, pupils got hands on with a range of activities, including building electrical circuits, making their own laser-printed key rings and 3D modelling, as well as taking part in a sustainability game focused on how they can help to make their home more environment friendly.

Ideal Heating Engineering Director Helen Villamuera said: “We’re delighted to work with Hull and East Yorkshire Children’s University to help inspire young children in our area.

“We’re keen to show young people that there are a wide variety of different careers available at Ideal Heating. The easy assumption is that the only jobs here are those in manufacturing and engineering, but there are many more – from research and development, to marketing, HR and administration.

“The children were all so receptive and it was great to hear so many of them asking thoughtful questions and being so interested in what we do.

“It would be fantastic to see some of these young people coming back to us in future to work for Ideal Heating.”
Ideal Heating employs around 1,100 people, with 800 of those in Hull, and has been located in the city since the business was founded in 1906.

Ideal is leading the way in low carbon heating solutions and is at the forefront of changes within the heating industry to create a more sustainable future.

Sarah Brodie, Partnerships Manager at HEY Children’s University, said: “Ideal Heating is one of the biggest, longest-standing companies in Hull and it’s fantastic to show the children that they have a genuine opportunity in future to access jobs at a business which is such a well-known, household name.

“Sustainability and the environment are really important topics for young people to learn about and Ideal is at the forefront of the heating industry’s transition to green energy, so it’s great to show the children that there are opportunities in that sector here in Hull.

“The day was incredibly well thought out and we’d like to say a huge thank you to Helen and the team at Ideal Heating for planning and delivering such an amazing day.”

Emily Mowforth, Year Five Teacher at St Nicholas Primary School, said: “It has been a fantastic day for the children.

They have loved seeing the facilities and getting hands-on experiences which they wouldn’t get in the classroom.

“A huge thank you to both Ideal Heating and HEY Children’s University for providing this amazing opportunity.”