WNT increases school involvement to drive engineering interest

The move bolsters the company's involvement in encouraging school children to consider the engineering and manufacturing sector as a career destination, as the cutting tool supplier is already backing the 4x4 In Schools Technology Challenge, which encourages children aged between 11 and 19 to design and manufacture a 4x4 off-road remote control vehicle. This new partnership will see WNT (UK) working alongside schools across the UK to provide technical and practical support for their work on the three key challenges run by Engineering in Motion: F1 in Schools; F1 in Schools - Jaguar Primary School Challenge; and Land Rover 4x4 in Schools Technology Challenge. As part of this partnership, WNT's 29 strong technical sales team will become STEM Ambassadors (Science, Technology, English and Maths), allowing them to provide mentoring and technical support to teams that have entered the challenge, plus act as judges for the competition at the UK regional and national finals. WNT (UK) will also be contributing to Engineering in Motion's 'My First Tool Kit project', which is a starter kit of tools and equipment for every school that takes part in one of the challenges, with the company liaising with schools to ensure that the content meets their individual requirements. Says David Lakin, Engineering in Motion's national project manager: "We are delighted with the increased support WNT (UK) is providing to Engineering in Motion. As the only cutting tool company involved with us at this level, WNT's contribution - both financial and benefit in kind technical support - will prove to be influential in contributing to the growth of the challenges and help young people to view engineering in a positive light, and encourage them to consider it as a career in the future." The support for Engineering in Motion by WNT (UK) forms part of the Sheffield-based company's community support activities and links in well with work that it is already doing with schools and colleges. "Encouraging the next generation of engineers is vitally important and the work that Engineering in Motion is doing is inspirational," stresses Tony Pennington, managing director, WNT (UK). "This is why WNT (UK) is happy to support the work that they are doing with the various technology challenges that they organise. Our involvement combines financial support, technical support through the enthusiasm of our technical sales engineers, and also the provision of tooling to those schools taking part in either F1 in Schools, F1 in Schools - Jaguar Primary School Challenge or the Land Rover 4x4 in Schools Technology Challenge."