Design and Make Challenge
More than 40 Year 11 pupils and A-Level students swapped their daily lessons to take part in the Design Make competition last month held in IIPSI.
The SME Group with nine local manufacturers got together to inspire young people to consider a career in engineering by encouraging them to work together and ‘problem solve’. The four-strong teams were given a box of goodies they could use to build a vehicle, which would be propelled by a pendulum’s impact, ensuring their designs could withstand the ‘strike’ whilst minimising weight.
There were accolades for best ‘Innovative Design’ won by Alcester Grammar, ‘Efficient Design’ won by John Taylor High School and ‘Design for Manufacture’ (how easy the vehicle could be made in larger numbers) which was won by WMG’s very own WMG Academy in Solihull.
Mark Swift, Head of WMG SME Group said -
Of the hundreds of small manufacturing business the WMG centre HVM Catapult supports a year, the skills agenda is constantly in firms top three issues. We have a skills and new talent crisis in the UK manufacturing sector with over 200,000 people with Level 3+ engineering skills needed every year to meet demand through to 2024.
The Design Make Challenge, combined with the WMG’s Internship and new KTP programmes, are just a few ways we are trying to tackle the crisis. Please get in touch with Simon Broome, for KTPs, or Tom Lockhart for internships, if you want to know more or have a potential company project.
Background
Hosted by Warwick Manufacturing Group and Advanced Propulsion Centre, featured nine schools in total, including Ashlawn, Great Wyrley Academy, Lawrence Sheriff, Nicholas Chamberlaine, Southam College and Ysgol Bro Dinefwr.
Winning teams each received an Ultimaker 3D Printer for their schools. These were donated by the CREATE Education project, which brings together game-changing technology with inspirational content and creative minds.
MAN Group is made up of Alucast, Barkley Plastics, Brandauer, C-MAC SMT, Grove Design, KimberMills International, Mec Com, Muller Holdings and PP Control & Automation.
MAN is currently working with WMG to improve processes and commercialise new technologies.
Daisy White, one of the pupils from the award-winning John Taylor High School, commented: “We had a great day, topped off by winning the ‘Efficient Design’ prize and being able to take a 3D Printer back to use in our studies.