Over 240 apprentices from, Ofsted Outstanding training provider, Gen2 have participated in different challenges to test their engineering and entrepreneurial skills, as part of National Apprenticeship Week.
39 teams of talented young people from across Gen2’s training centres in Workington, Carlisle and Furness completed several challenges which were showcased at the grand final on Friday 7 February. There to see the student’s achievements were employers including Sellafield and Cumbria County Council and MPs Trudy Harrison and Mark Jenkinson.
Paul Storey, Gen2’s Managing Director, said “We have had yet another great National Apprenticeship Week, bringing together employers and our students from across Cumbria.
“This week is a key opportunity to showcase to communities across the county the value that apprenticeships can bring. By working in collaboration with some of the county’s top employers, we continue to help foster the skills that people, and business need to succeed.”
“The challenges we saw students compete in for our Apprenticeship Week challenge today take a huge amount of effort and are designed to recognise the hard work of our students. Judging by the standard of the entries we have seen here today I have a feeling that we have many young people with a very bright future ahead of them.”
Over 350 students and judges, made up of local employers, took part in this annual challenge event at Gen2’s Head Office in Workington, with many senior people from local businesses and local authorities supporting the students.
The young people faced a number of different technical challenges designed to test their engineering skills. Winners included a team that created a game called ‘Pollution Island’, a team that fabricated a sculpture of a kangaroo out of metal and a team that created classroom resources to aid teaching.
In addition, a team from Carlisle won in a Robot Wars style challenge and three standout students won an engineering challenge (Josh Moore), a machining skills challenge (Stefan Lomas) a welding skills challenge (Jacob Lancaster) and the ECITB Engineering Foundation Skills Display (Ellie Lightbowne-Prince.)
The Gen2 entrepreneurial challenge teams have raised over £4,600 for a range of charities: Eden Valley Hospice, Alzheimer’s, Danika’s Dream Fund, St. Marys Hospice, The Henderson Suite, Always another way, Suicide Bereavement Support and West Cumbria Society for the blind. The winning team in this category was Danika’s Dream Fund who raised over £850 selling candles they had made.
