29/09/2026
T Level and Level 2 Engineering students swapped the classroom for the factory floor during a series of visits to long-standing local engineering firm Boneham & Turner.
Boneham & Turner, established in Mansfield in 1918 by John Boneham, still has a strong family connection. Four groups of students visited the company’s Oddicroft Lane site, where they were welcomed by Co-Managing Director Charles Boneham, great great grandson of the company’s founder.
Following an introduction in the boardroom from Charles and his colleagues, students headed onto the factory floor to see engineering in action – from traditional techniques and manually-operated equipment to modern CNC machinery and precision manufacturing.
They discovered how the company produces and supplies millions of precision components for industries including aerospace, defence and motorsport, and heard why accuracy down to just a few microns can be crucial.
The visit also highlighted the huge variety of careers within engineering and manufacturing – spanning design and machining to quality, inspection, purchasing, sales and operations.
T Level Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control student Frasier Foston, 17, said: “There are lots of machines, some manual some CNC. All the parts are checked for conformity multiple times before it even reaches the inspection area.
“I was surprised at just how small some of the things they did.”
Frasier is already gaining hands-on experience in CNC machining and laser cutting as part of the industry placement required for his T Level.
There was another highlight waiting for students at the end of the visit…Technical specialist Neil Basini from the University of Wolverhampton brought along the university’s racing simulator, giving students the chance to get behind the virtual wheel and receive feedback on their driving.
The university has a long-standing connection with Boneham & Turner through its UW Racing programme. The company sponsors the university’s racing car, helping motorsport engineering students gain valuable hands-on experience of competitive motorsport.
A huge thank you to Charles and the team at Boneham & Turner for continuing to open their doors to our students year after year, and to Neil and the University of Wolverhampton for adding a little racing excitement to this year’s visit!
Engineering Work Placement and T Level Engagement Officer at the college Ruby Dennis said: “Manufacturing Day at Boneham & Turner was a great opportunity for our students to gain an insight into the world of manufacturing and experience the skills and opportunities available within the industry. It was a brilliant day of learning and industry engagement! Thank you to everyone at the company for welcoming us so warmly.”
