Five degree apprentices from Gloucestershire-based global engineering technologies company Renishaw were recently awarded the People’s Prize for their entry in the national Engineers without Borders competition. The competition helps showcase the most innovative minds that are entering the engineering industry and how they can use their skills to positively impact global and societal issues.
This year’s challenge is based in Cape York, Australia, an area known for extreme flooding and wildfires. The team were given a design brief, which highlights issues such as sanitation, waste, energy, water and the built environment. The Renishaw apprentices, who all study at the University of the West of England, Bristol, represented both their university and Renishaw during the event. Their award-winning solution included an evaporation cooling barrel to help store food in all climates. The system included two sustainable energy sources, a recycled wood water wheel and a solar panel, which provided energy to a pump that used water to keep re-used cloth saturated. A fan draws air through the system to create an evaporative cooling effect, cooling sealed bags of food and giving the user access to fresh food.
The group — Jack Chomette, Jack Madley, Cameron Wilson, Toby Stevens and Elliott Davies — are all completing their Level 6 Mechanical Engineer Apprenticeship or Level 6 Manufacturing Engineer apprenticeship. The team made it to the Grand Finals competition, which was held in London on 17th June where they showcased their design poster and presented their innovative solution in front of a panel of industry experts. Another team consisting of two Renishaw apprentices, Esmee Howard and Sonique McIntyre and three external students, also made it to the final selection.
“Over 8,000 students from 33 UK and Irish universities participated in this competition, so to have two teams that included Renishaw apprentices in the final was a brilliant achievement,” commented Julia Russell, Apprentice Lead at Renishaw. “The winning team gained 565 votes out of 4000, securing the People’s Prize with over 14 per cent of the total votes. The team were awarded £550 bursaries as recognition of their innovative thinking and problem-solving skills.
“The success of both teams with Renishaw representatives highlights the brilliant work that our apprentices complete inside and outside the work environment,” continued Russell. “The real-life experience that the apprentices gain by working on projects like this as part of their degree allows them to tackle real-world issues and put their degree into action in a work environment.”
This year, Renishaw recruited for a record intake of 96 graduates and 80 apprentices across its Gloucestershire and South Wales sites. Applications for its 2023 apprenticeship and graduate opportunities will open in September 2022. Renishaw recognises the value and diverse thinking that early career individuals can bring to the company and is constantly striving to recruit and develop talented individuals.
To find out more about Renishaw’s apprenticeship scheme, visit Renishaw’s website https://www.renishaw.com/en/apprenticeships.
