In the Driving Seat: Dan Howard, Liverpool Lifesciences UTC School
Dan Howard, Engineering and Employer Partnership Lead, Liverpool Lifesciences UTC School, seemingly has a challenge choosing between a number of leisure activities such as reading The Lord of the Rings or playing Pokémon Battle Academy…
Name
Dan Howard
Company
Liverpool Lifesciences UTC School
Position
Engineering and Employer Partnership Lead
Apart from that
I also run https://www.fusioneducatorshub.com which is a teaching and learning resource based around Autodesk CADCAM software. This is a set of projects and resources that we have written and continue to develop on behalf of Autodesk for use within the Baker Dearing trusts 49 UTC schools across the UK. Excitingly, this year we will be writing a competition for students aged 14 –19 which will be tagged “concept cars” and will be supported by both Autodesk and NAA member BAC.
Why did you join the NAA?
I moved from working in a UTC (University Technical College) in Hull four years ago which had a focus on renewable technologies. When I arrived in Liverpool, I found that the industrial landscape was more focused on advanced manufacturing and the Automotive industry. Over the last four years I have had the pleasure of starting to understand the industry from Automotive manufacturers such as Ford, BAC and Surface Transforms. However, this journey isn’t about me, it is about the learners who I teach who are passionate about all things automotive. I feel that taking time to join the NAA and getting to know the other members will help me and my colleagues contextualise our curriculum with skills and knowledge that will help fill gaps in the future workforce.
Personal
I enjoy running, exercising and the outdoors as well as being a keen gardener and having an allotment. I also have a 6-year-old and am currently becoming very good at “Pokémon Battle Academy”!
Favourite sport/team
Football. I am an Aston Villa supporter having grown up in the Midlands. I have fond memories of Dean Saunders and Dalian Atkinson causing all sorts of issues for defenders in the early 1990s. Now I am more of an armchair supporter, but if ever there is a pub quiz category on 1990’s premier league then I would back myself to do well.
Musical performer
Tom York (Radiohead). I grew up spending a lot of my latter teenage years listening to “the Bends”
Movie
Top Gun or Pirates of the Caribbean
Books
Lord of the Rings. I nearly went for this as my film choice but the omission of Tom Bombadil from the film just swings the books for me!
Best motoring moment
Although I have several great motoring moments like watching touring cars at Donington Park as a child (Alain Menu was my hero), and receiving the keys to my new company car as a young graduate (a BMW 120d), I actually think that my favourite memory is receiving my father-in-law’s auto car magazine collection, which has every episode of Autocar magazine from 1974. I am passionate about design and form and I have found real joy in discovering the old properly hand-drawn renders done by designers and artists of the past. What has been great is being able to share these designs, specifications and detailing with the students who I teach.
Best business advice you’ve ever received?
Over the years I have been very fortunate to hear from a number of business leaders from a range of industries, but I think that the one line that resonates with me the most is “do something you enjoy”. This is something that we try and instill in the students we teach.
