A NISSAN worker from the North East that’s inspired thousands of children across the globe to study STEM subjects and apprenticeships has been named in the Queen’s New Year’s honours list.

Ian Green, from Houghton Le Spring, has used his position as senior controller and section manager at Nissan Training to encourage thousands of young people locally and worldwide to work in the engineering and car manufacturing industry through projects he’s set up.

It was announced last night (December 31) that Mr Green would receive an MBE for his service to apprenticeships and STEM Skills.

Read more: Nissan's Sunderland plant to lead £13bn investment on new EV models

He established the Nissan Skills Foundation in 2012 to bridge the gap between Nissan and schools, promoting apprenticeships and graduate entry.

The Foundation has engaged with 350+ schools growing from 335 children and four schools in 2012 to 12,000+ students and 180+ schools engaging annually, including over 500 people with disabilities from nine special schools.

In November 2021, it reached a landmark of 70,000 young people that have been on the various programs.

The Northern Echo: Mr Green has set up projects across the UK and taken schemes as far as Mexico to get young people interested in STEM.Mr Green has set up projects across the UK and taken schemes as far as Mexico to get young people interested in STEM.

Now that the Foundation has been running nine years, it’s been awarded the Quality Badge by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom and he was named as the Changemaker of the Year at the National Industrial Cadets Awards 2017 and recognized in 2018 as one of the Top 100 people in Manufacturing.

Despite inspiring thousands in the UK to pick up tools and take up STEM subjects, the 52-year-old has also worked with children globally. Most notably, in Mexico, where he championed a programme to safeguard children away from gangs by giving them an opportunity in Nissan.

Using extensive experience as a school governor, he developed the Monozukuri (the art of making) Caravan program for primary-age children to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum.

Read more: Nissan recruiting more than 400 staff at Sunderland plant

Mr Green also set up the Girls in Monozukuri, Manufacturing & Engineering (GIMME) program; a half-day conference run four times a year to provoke and inspire Y9-13 girls through the experience of other women in engineering.

In a manufacturing and business side, the MBE recipient has been responsible for creating and delivering training for the set up and launch of two new factories in Russia and India.

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

You can also follow our dedicated County Durham Facebook page for all the latest in the area by clicking here.

For all the top news updates from right across the region straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on newsdesk@nne.co.uk or contact 01325 505054