Classrooms don’t get much better… Hitachi Construction Machinery UK (HCMUK) welcomed youngsters to its South Tyneside HQ with a series of tasks aimed to inspire the next generation of engineers and apprentices.
The construction equipment supplier opened its doors to Dunn Street Primary School pupils to help bring lessons to life.
Hitachi Construction Machinery UK, in Hebburn, works with South Tyneside Council to strengthen links with schools across the borough to showcase the range of engineering careers available on students’ doorsteps.
Dunn Street Primary School won HCMUK’s 2025 Health, Safety and Wellbeing Week poster competition, promoted to schools by South Tyneside Council, earning a tour of the site. Following that visit, the school asked whether Hitachi could support its Key Stage 2 Design Technology topic, “D+T Mechanisms – Levers and Linkages”.
Together, HCMUK and the school adapted the topic to connect directly with Hitachi excavators, giving pupils the chance to see real machines and understand how links, levers and hydraulics work in practice. The initiative saw pupils complete a series of industry‑linked lessons, culminating in a visit to the Hitachi factory on Friday (6 March), followed by a return visit from the company to the school on Friday 20 March.
Hitachi have supported five of the school’s lessons, creating bespoke videos and designing creative and academic tasks.
Activities included building a “split‑pin” digger mechanism, constructing actuator movement, labelling machine parts, completing hydraulics fact sheets and matching components to their names. To enhance learning, Hitachi loaned the school a hydraulic panel with hoses and bolts, a ride‑on digger to demonstrate pivot points and a range of visual resources.
David Roberts, chief executive at Hitachi, said:
“We are proud to be working with Dunn Street Primary School and other schools to show pupils that engineering is not just something in a textbook – it’s happening in their community. By opening the factory up and supporting projects like this, we hope to spark curiosity and show young people the exciting opportunities available in modern manufacturing.”
During their visit, pupils toured the production facility, watched a live machine demonstration, had a Q&A session with HCMUK’s Internal Trainer, John Clare. The visit culminated in a creative challenge: designing a 2D advert highlighting how levers and linkages allow Hitachi machines to move. HCMUK will visit the school on 20 March to judge the entries, with three winners receiving Hitachi merchandise.
The initiative builds on Hitachi’s wider work with borough schools, including donating 21 ride‑on toy mini diggers to primaries and participating in Council recruitment and training events like Your Next Steps Live.
The project is supported by South Tyneside Council, which works closely with employers to strengthen links between education and industry.
Councillor Margaret Meling, lead member for economic growth and transport at South Tyneside Council, said:
“It’s fantastic to see Hitachi working closely with our schools to bring learning to life. Linking school to real‑world careers helps youngsters understand the relevance of subjects and hopefully broaden horizons.”
This summer, Hitachi will also welcome three new apprentices, reinforcing its commitment to developing local talent and creating skilled careers in the region.
David added:
“The three new Installation Engineer Apprentices joining us are proof that there are real, rewarding career pathways available locally. We want young people in the borough to see they can build successful futures without leaving the area.”
Hitachi Construction have signed up to the South Tyneside Pledge, a borough-wide initiative encouraging businesses to support local employment, skills and supply chains. Supporting local schools and endorsing apprenticeships are some of the commitments made through the Pledge.
