Endoline Automation has reaffirmed its commitment to developing the next generation of engineers after supporting Year 8 students from Wixams Academy, Bedfordshire, through the nationally accredited Industrial Cadets Bronze Award programme.
Supporting future engineering talent is a long-standing priority for Endoline. As part of that commitment, the company dedicated more than 30 hours of engineering expertise over a three-month period to mentor a team of four students aged 12 to 14 through the Industrial Cadets Bronze Award programme.
Working alongside Endoline’s Electrical Design Engineer, Mehran Navi, the students tackled the Industrial Cadets challenge ‘My School is an Island’, exploring how a school could become fully self-sufficient by considering energy, resources, travel and waste. Their research also examined sustainable food production, renewable energy and innovative building materials, encouraging them to develop practical solutions to real-world sustainability challenges.
As part of the programme, the students visited Endoline’s Bedfordshire headquarters, where they toured the production facility, met members of the engineering team and saw first-hand how bespoke packaging automation systems are designed and manufactured. They also presented their project to Endoline representatives, receiving feedback from experienced engineers.
The programme concluded at the Industrial Cadets celebration event, where students showcased their projects and celebrated their achievements.
Andrew Yates, Managing Director of Endoline Automation, said: “Engineering is about far more than designing machines – it’s about creativity, innovation and solving real-world problems.
“Supporting the next generation of engineers has always been important to Endoline. Whether that’s opening our doors to students, sharing our expertise or taking part in programmes like Industrial Cadets, we want young people to see the breadth of opportunities that a career in engineering and manufacturing can offer.
“The enthusiasm, confidence and professionalism shown by the students was genuinely impressive. Over the course of the project, they developed some incredibly creative ideas and presented them with real conviction. If experiences like this encourage even a handful of young people to consider a career in engineering or manufacturing, then it’s time very well spent.”
Throughout the programme, Endoline’s engineers shared their knowledge and experience while giving the students an insight into careers within modern manufacturing. Electrical Design Engineer Mehran Navi mentored the Wixams Academy team throughout the project, while Mechanical Design Engineer Dan Hatcher supported the programme as an assessor before joining the judging panel at the Industrial Cadets celebration event, where he was also invited to present one of the awards.
“As a business that designs and manufactures bespoke packaging automation systems for customers around the world, we’re passionate about investing in the next generation of engineering talent. Supporting programmes like Industrial Cadets allows us to share our knowledge, inspire young people and hopefully play a small part in developing the engineers of tomorrow,” concludes Andrew.
