The Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) is delighted to launch the 2018 edition of their flagship competition for D&T and engineering students, the Technology Design and Innovation (TDI) Challenge sponsored by Close Brothers.
The annual competition for schools and colleges has grown in prominence over the past decade to becoming one of the leading extracurricular school’s competitions in the UK.
To promote this year’s Challenge the MTA have produced a series of short clips and interviews to be shared on social media (links found below), to inspire this year’s entrants. The videos focus on last year’s finalists and some of the imaginative designs that led to their well-deserved place in the final.
Previous winners and participants have used the TDI as a springboard into the industry, with last year’s winner in the 17-19 age category, Halimah Ershad of Forest School in London, receiving an undergraduate scholarship to the Dyson School of Engineering.
Her project was call BrooDen – which was High End Chick Brooder. Halimah reacted to winning by saying “I can’t believe I have won, it has been a great day and I have really enjoyed myself. It was a brilliant experience seeing a modern manufacturing facility like Mazak. This is a great first step for me in to a career in engineering.”
ENTRY CATEGORIES FOR 2018 TDI CHALLENGE
The TDI Challenge has four categories, and is open to anyone in the UK who has created an impressive Design & Technology or Engineering project within school.
- Individual student aged 14-16 (GCSE/KS4/BTEC L2)
- Individual student aged 17-19 (A-Level/BTEC L3)
- Student group (3- 6 members) aged 14-16 (GCSE/KS4/BTEC L2)
- Student group (3-6 members) aged 17-19 (A-Level/BTEC L3)
Many students enter the TDI Challenge with their existing coursework projects. It is not necessary to spend time creating a new project, although we also welcome projects developed especially for the TDI Challenge. Students cannot enter both the individual and group categories.
The competition is free to enter, and students can win prizes including an iPad, GoPro, UE Boom Speaker, drone plus many more. The winning school in each category will also win £2000 of credit to spend with Technology Supplies Limited (Design, Technology & Engineering specialists for education worldwide) on D&T equipment for the classroom. Runner-up prizes of £1000 and £500 are also available for schools in each category.
Laura Pickering, Education and Development Manager at the MTA, said “This year the TDI Challenge is even more important, as we are in the Year of Engineering. We want to use this opportunity to inspire the next generation of engineers, and to help widen the diversity of employees within the industry. Students from all backgrounds should be aware that there are many rewarding and interesting careers in engineering available to them, accessible via apprenticeships and further/higher education.”
She continued “The TDI Challenge exists to show off the innovation and flare of students from across the UK. We’ve seen previous winners of this competition go on to great things and we’re confident that in 2018 we’ll unearth even more top UK talent.”
Steven Gee CEO – Industrial Equipment Division – Close Brothers Asset Finance, said “Close Brothers is delighted to be sponsoring the Technology, Design & Innovation Challenge 2018. We believe that it is important to invest in the next generation and we want to inspire young people to pursue a fulfilling career in engineering. Now more than ever, it is important to address the skills gap that many businesses in the manufacturing technologies industry face. We hope to help close this gap by supporting D&T and Engineering in the curriculum and raising awareness nationwide through the TDI challenge.”
The MTA is delighted that Technology Supplies is to be the official prize sponsor for the TDI Challenge 2018. Rebecca Byrne, Events & PR Manager at Technology Supplies, said “Design and Technology is key in the ever-evolving environment we live in, it’s all around us and fundamental in almost everything we do. Fast changing technologies, industry challenges and demands mean that it’s imperative to ensure we are embracing tomorrows designers and engineers; supporting organisations such as MTA to celebrate creativity and innovation helps us in our journey to ensure new and innovative products in education for tomorrows professionals.”
The closing date for entries is Friday 11th May 2018, and the competition is limited to only one application per student or group. All entries and questions about the competition can be submitted to [email protected]. Finalists will be notified by Friday 8th June 2018. The TDI Challenge is open to any student living in the United Kingdom.
The final itself will be held at the European Headquarters of MTA Members Yamakazi Mazak at their state of the art facility in Worcester on Wednesday 4th July 2018. The chosen finalists will display their portfolio of work in Mazak’s atrium, and give a presentation to the judging panel made up of industry experts who will decide the overall prize winners.
ENDS
Be inspired with 2017’s Finalists #TDIChallenge #YoE
14-16, Dan Kimber: https://youtu.be/0g_FuLMbXoc
14-16, Jacob Lawson: https://youtu.be/xFD9lAt2M4U
14-16, Peter Lawson Russell: https://youtu.be/cI70P6lQrYk
14-16, Simon Knowles: https://youtu.be/FA-cgU48uiU
14-16, Will Bailey: https://youtu.be/6t0iuePIltg
17-19, Bethanie Martin: https://youtu.be/mC8TAvricBc
17-19, Halimah Ershad: https://youtu.be/fxZAyuPrYto
17-19, Hannah Cowie: https://youtu.be/oILv_7ZlHko
17-19, Myles Lydon: https://youtu.be/HM7suJh1xNM
17-19, Sam Taylor-Jones: https://youtu.be/R8lum0jhS6M
17-19, Team Josephson: https://youtu.be/X-dfKwtThWg
17-19, Team Unite: https://youtu.be/D1uVdCHnBIk
Picture credits
Halimah Ershad 17-19 winner
TDI Logo
All the TDI winners from 2017
For further information please contact: Thomas Lane – [email protected] – 020 7298 6400
Notes to Editor
The MTA exists to promote the interests, and be the voice, of the manufacturing technologies sector in the UK.
The Manufacturing Technologies Association is the UK’s trade association for companies in the manufacturing technology sector. MTA members design, manufacture and supply the advanced machinery, equipment and intellectual property that enable the creation of the products we rely on from day to day and that drive our economy.
Key aspects of manufacturing technology include; machine tools, cutting tools, metrology (measuring) equipment, additive manufacturing (3D printing), surface finishing, robotics and computer aided design and manufacturing products (CAD/CAM), as well as the technology which is enabling the digitisation of manufacturing – the fourth industrial revolution. These combine to make up complete systems – increasingly automated and adaptive – that manufacturers deploy, making the sector fundamental to the prosperity, health and defence of the nation.
The MTA delivers: marketing support and networking opportunities; specific and relevant economic and technical information; representation to Government and other stakeholders; help for exporters; and support for learning and development within member companies and beyond.
The MTA owns and runs MACH, the UK’s premier event to showcase manufacturing technologies. The biennial exhibition, held at the NEC, attracts over 25,000 visitors, over 600 exhibitors and the last edition, MACH 2016, saw over £150,000,000 of business attributed to it.
Established in 1919 the MTA has been at the core of the UK’s engineering based manufacturing economy for almost a century.
Technology Supplies
Technology Supplies is the leading Design, Technology and Engineering specialist for education worldwide. Our globally trusted services include installations, from design and consultation to commissioning and training; maintenance services for all types of educational workshops; supply of over 8,000 curricula-aligned products; and excellent aftercare support across all products and equipment.
Thomas Lane
PR and Communications
+44 (0)20 7298 6420 (DDI)
The Manufacturing Technologies Association
62 Bayswater Road ǀ London ǀ W2 3PS
The Manufacturing Technologies Association is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England & Wales No 00154271
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