News August/September 2023 www.pwemag.co.uk Plant & Works Engineering | 07 Electromechanical repair specialist, Fletcher Moorland, has launched an initiative to support the younger generation entering engineering, design, and manufacturing careers. Under the banner Get Tooled Up, Fletcher Moorland is giving away five sets of quality tools to young apprentices and aspiring engineers every month. Since its launch, the initiative has seen the company give away tools including infrared thermometers, VDE pliers and hex key sets, from Fluke, RS components and Wera, to young engineers from across the UK. Commenting on the initiative, Matt Fletcher, Managing Director at Fletcher Moorland, said: “Tools cost a lot of money; ask any engineer. It’s particularly hard when starting out in an engineering career. You want the best tools to do your job but to get good quality equipment does cost money. “I want to put decent tools in the hands of apprentices and young engineers from the start, and I’m committing to do this.” For young engineers to be in with a chance of winning tools that could help them as they embark on their careers, all they have to do is look out for posts on LinkedIn carrying the #GetTooledUp hashtag and then comment or hit the like button. Each month Fletcher Moorland will randomly draw from the entrants and notify the lucky winners. Anyone who wants to nominate a young person to be entered can also do so by tagging or, if they aren’t on LinkedIn, nominating them on the post featuring the hashtag. Initially, Fletcher Moorland funded the prize tools itself, but for the latest draw, the initiative has drawn support from DIY-repair specialist iFixit, which has donated five of its ProTech tool kits as the prizes for the May draw. “I absolutely love iFixit,” said Matt. “Its mission is ‘To teach everyone to fix everything. Let’s fix the world together,’ which is a great fit for what we are doing. Many young engineers start out by taking things apart to see how they work and see if they can fix them. With its tools and its repair tutorials, iFixit is making this possible.” The following month, global industrial and mechanical tool brand, Beta, is donating the prizes, and Matt believes there is an excellent opportunity for other suppliers to support the initiative: “Brand loyalty is a powerful thing and getting tools into the hands of engineers at the beginning of their careers could see lifelong customers born. Plus, from a marketing point of view, supporting young engineers is a great story to tell.” Any tool supply companies looking to support the initiative are invited to contact Matt Fletcher directly. And any young or inspiring engineers, or their colleagues, friends, and family, to enter, simply look out for the hashtag #GetTooledUp. For further information please visit: www.fletchermoorland.co.uk Young engineers get tooled up M&E Week becomes industrial sector’s biggest event Manufacturing & Engineering Week 2023 has become the biggest industrial sector event in the UK in just its second year, according to statistics released by event organisers The Nineteen Group. Over the course of the live shows on the 7 and 8 June, 10,355 manufacturers, designers, engineers and maintenance professionals attended the event at the NEC which had 342 exhibitors. Senior manufacturing leaders attended the Manufacturing Digitalisation Summit and the SME Growth Summit, while also finding time to visit the Google Leaders’ Lounge. As part of the STEM programme more than 450 students attended the exhibition on the final afternoon finding much to inspire them in the Made Smarter Innovation Alley, the Innovation Village and beyond. Haf Cennydd, Portfolio Director for Manufacturing & Engineering Week said: “To have built the biggest UK event for the industrial sector in just two years has surpassed our expectations and clearly demonstrates that bringing together Smart Factory Expo, Design & Engineering Expo and Maintec was a great idea. With industrial events also taking place at the same time and venue run by other event organisers plus the addition of Drives & Controls, Air-Tech and Fluid Power & Systems, there will only be more to see and do in 2024.” Manufacturing & Engineering Week has the support of most of the high-profile organisations, institutions and trade bodies representing the UK’s industrial and manufacturing sector, none more so than Make UK. Stephen Phipson CBE, CEO of MAKE UK and chair of Manufacturing & Engineering Week said of this year’s event: “Manufacturing and Engineering Week has gone from strength to strength from last year to this year and we expect it to grow even further next year. Key challenges were high on the agenda for the second year with skills, supply chain and sustainability discussed in detail. It was great to see the show also offset their carbon emissions once again by planting thousands more trees in the M&E Week Forest.” Maintec in particular has benefited from its inclusion in M&E Week with Chris Hansford of Hansford Sensors commenting: “I have been coming to Maintec for 36 years and this is the busiest one I can remember. The event has had a shot in the arm which is great for our business and the maintenance sector as a whole.” Engineers Without Borders UK, the official charity partner for Manufacturing & Engineering Week, used its presence as an opportunity to launch a global responsibility competency compass to address the sustainability skills gap in engineering. John Kraus, CEO said: “The event has given the whole team a boost. It’s given us a platform for our launch and an opportunity to network directly with people working in industry
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