In order to be competitive in the future we must strive to make manufacturing a career of choice for some of our highest achievers. With careers information, advice and guidance in schools in a state of disarray and young people still reporting that they are advised against a career in industry it is up to industry itself to take a leading role in painting the sector in a better light.

With that aim in mind the Manufacturing Technologies Association runs an annual Technology, Design and Innovation (TDI) Challenge for students in design and technology disciplines. Entries are received from all over the country as students submit their coursework to the MTA’s Education and Training Committee who choose 12 finalists to attend a Finals Day at Machine Tool manufacturer Yamazaki Mazak’s European HQ at Worcester. This year’s Finals took place on 9th July and the standard was one of the highest yet.

The finalists present their projects on mini exhibition stands with places to display posters and artwork, as well as their finished prototypes. Items on display ranged from cleverly-designed furniture to a prosthetic swimming aid. The judges – senior MTA members – took time to speak to the entrants to get a real understanding of what went into their projects and what the students got out of the experience of doing design and technology. An important feature of the TDI challenge is the degree of engagement that the judges have with the young people, something that their teachers greatly appreciate. A key objective is for all those taking part to have a really good experience and to make them think positively about manufacturing as a career.

As well as the competition students are all taken on a guided tour of Yamazaki Mazak’s factory which gives them the opportunity to see a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in operation. The company also puts on special demonstrations in its Technology Centre to help the students understand the capabilities of the latest manufacturing technology.

All 12 finalists this year were noteworthy, but ultimately it is a competition and there are winners. In the 14-16 age group the prize was won by Ben Murray of Balcarras School in Cheltenham. Ben designed a handheld steady-cam for a smartphone to make videos taken on phones less wobbly. He said: “The competition was a wonderful experience and I enjoyed looking over all the other projects on display as well as the Mazak factory.” 

In the 17-19 age group the prize was taken by Charlie Smith of Sedbergh School in Cumbria. Charlie’s innovative design was born of his experiences trekking in Iceland and was for a system to heat water and cook food far more quickly than conventional burners. He said he was ‘really delighted’ to have won: “I put a lot of work into the project and it’s great to have that recognised and feel rewarded.”

Howard Bamforth, sales director at MTA member 600 Group, chaired the judges and led the praise for the winners saying: “The judging panel were impressed with the high calibre of this year’s finalists and the range of different technologies they used. That made judging this year particularly difficult but two entries stood out even from such a high quality field. Charlie Smith and Ben Murray both presented work of a  very high standard that had been thoroughly researched, well manufactured and was virtually ready for sale. Congratulations to them and their schools.”

If you’d like to find out more about TDI or encourage a school close to you to ‘Take the Challenge’ you can find out more by contacting James Fudge, the MTA’s education and training co-ordinator, at [email protected] .