10 HYDRAULICS & PNEUMATICS June 2024 www.hpmag.co.uk NEWS primarily child-centred solutions. The runner-up project was Brush designed by the team of Thomas Potts, Luke Scofield and Owen Green. The team identified a universal problem for wheelchair users; that of dirt building up on tyres and the challenge of cleaning them before going into a building. Brush is an easy-to-clip-on unit which cleans as it goes and is 3D printed using PLA (polylactic acid) and flexible TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane). The brush is replaceable and can be easily detached for use as a standard manual brush. The highly commended finalist was The Braille Knife designed by Marian Bumbar. The inspiration for Marian’s project came from imagining the daunting task of selecting the right knife in the kitchen, without the sense of sight. Apart from the obvious safety considerations, this also involves gauging texture and functionality through other senses. Marian’s solution is the Braille Knife. Made with strong, lightweight titanium blades which feature Braille language engraved directly onto the handle, the design empowers those with impaired vision confidently to select the appropriate utensil. Emma Wiggs said: “It’s been a privilege to come back to OAS and work with the first-year apprentices on the second Emma Wiggs Challenge. Once again, I have been absolutely blown away by the unique solutions that the finalists have produced. “As I train for my own next challenge of qualifying and competing at the Paralympics in Paris, I’ve been delighted to work with and advise the apprentices on their projects and have been truly inspired by the way they have approached the task, including their research to understand and identify some of the challenges affecting people with all types of disabilities. “The way they have then been able to apply all their newly found engineering skills, to come up with these fantastic, innovative solutions makes me very proud of all their collective efforts and the support of all the staff and trainers at OAS.” Emma Johnstone, head of finance and operations at OAS, added: “I couldn’t be more proud of the way in which our firstyear apprentices have embraced the challenge. It’s been so rewarding to see how they have been inspired by working with Emma Wiggs to create these concepts to help improve daily life for people with disabilities. I’d like to thank the MTC Training engineering trainers who have mentored the competitors as they have tackled the challenge of progressing their original ideas into workable, presentable designs.” Dame Judith Hackitt Chair of the Enginuity Board is calling on engineering and manufacturing employers to pledge their support in addressing 5 key priorities in Enginuity’s new ‘Manifesto for Change’. A decade in the making, Enginuity’s ‘Manifesto for Change’ is based on in-depth knowledge of the UK engineering and manufacturing sector that currently ranks 8th worldwide*. It calls for a multi-stakeholder collaborative approach between policymakers, employers, and education providers. Make UK, SDE Technology, Automate UK and the Design and Technology Association are among those that have already pledged their support. The leading ‘sector connector’ charity, Enginuity pinpoints five priority actions that will secure the future of UK engineering and manufacturing and build a worldclass sector: 1. Make qualifications and learning more flexible with a focus on key transferable skills. 2. Incentivise recruitment in priority industries with skills shortages. 3. Ensure that funding for technical and vocational education, standards, and qualifications is commensurate with the critical need to upskill and reskill the engineering and manufacturing workforce. 4. Establish a skills observatory using data and AI to analyse cross-sector and sector-specific needs. 5. Refine the Apprenticeship Levy in England and make funding systems more transparent for engineering and manufacturing employers across the UK. Dame Judith Hackitt OBE, Chair of the Enginuity Group, said: “None of us can know exactly what the future’s engineering and manufacturing jobs will look like, but we know they will be different from today’s. Now is the time to act. If we do nothing, the sector will survive, but it will fail to thrive, and we will fail in our endeavour to be a leading global player in engineering and manufacturing.” Ann Watson, Chief Executive of Enginuity, added: “The engineering and manufacturing sector is staring in the face of challenges and opportunities. In order to meet them head-on, we need employers, training centres, educational institutions, and policymakers to work together. If we act now, we can prepare the existing workforce and attract a whole new generation of engineering talent.” Action to tackle UK engineering skills gap
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