Engineers are the nation's rock stars
25/02/2015 Enginuity
Individuals and companies triumph at Semta Skills Awards 2015Britain's young engineers should enjoy celebrity status just as the famous inventors of the Victorian age were treated like rock stars, a government minister said last night.
Speaking at the prestigious Semta Skills Awards Minister of State for Business, Enterprise and Energy, Matthew Hancock said it was vital that those who were engineering the UK's economic recovery were held up as examples for others.
"None of the great engineers of the past had a traditional university background," said Mr Hancock. "All of them learnt the skills that transformed the nation on the job as apprentices.
"What we can learn from our Victorian forbearers is that the Industrial Revolution was dramatised through rock star engineers - Stephenson, Brunel, Bazalgette - they were not just famous for what they did but they were the rock stars of their day and investors put up money for all the unproven technology because of the excitement, hype and buzz that surrounded civil engineering at the cutting edge.
"It is vitally important that the nation regains this buzz. Celebrating success is one way we can do that."
Alex Tomlinson , 24, from Birmingham, who is a third year Powertrain Emission Test Higher Apprentice at Jaguar Land Rover based at Whitley, Coventry was named overall Best of British Engineering also won the Apprentice of the Year category, sponsored by Marshall.
He was presented with the award at a gala dinner in London's Park Plaza, Riverbank last night (February 24) hosted by TV presenter Michael Underwood.
Alex said: "I am absolutely staggered to win. The competition was so fierce. I will just continue to do what I love. I have put so much effort in at work. My ambition is to create a viable engine which doesn't have any emissions - I hope to drive forward the idea to do it within 10 years."
The evening also saw the second inductee into Semta's Engineering Hall of Fame. Mark Chapman, aged 47, from Pilning, will rub shoulders with the likes of Brunel, Stephenson and Sir Frank Whittle having been nominated - and voted for - by hundreds of his peers.
His pioneering work on advanced jet propulsion systems is the driving force behind Richard Noble's World Land Speed attempt.
The Bloodhound Supersonic Car is hoped to exceed 1,000 mph thanks to the delivery of 135,000 brake horsepower.
Mark said: "I am speechless. It is an amazing privilege."
Other winners from the night were:
. Martin Manufacturing UK, which employs 48 people in Louth and makes a range of smoke boxes for the entertainments' industry, won the SME Investment in Skills category, sponsored by Pera Training.
. Stefano, Persico, 27, from Naples, Italy, lives in Derby. and is a Professional Excellence Manufacturing Engineering Graduate at Rolls-Royce. He won the Graduate of the Year category, sponsored by Atkins.
. Rebecca Davies 21, from Bolton, completed her apprenticeship in September and is a Manufacturing engineer at MBDA Missles in Lostock. She won the Higher Apprentice of the Year category, sponsored by Rolls-Royce.
. Steven Pringle, known as George, who is the Life Skills Manager at the Babcock Engineering Academy in Gosport, won the Skills Champion of the Year category, sponsored by BAE Systems.
. Jaguar Land Rover, the UK's leading manufacturer of premium luxury vehicles with three vehicle manufacturing plants - two in the West Midlands at Castle Bromwich and Solihull, one near Liverpool in Halewood - and two advanced design and engineering centres at Gaydon and Whitley in the Midlands, won the Skills Innovation of the Year category, sponsored by Siemens
. Toyota, based in Burnaston, Derby, won the Training Partner of the Year award, sponsored by Jaguar Land Rover having picked up the Skills Innovation award at the inaugural event last year.
Ann Watson, CEO of Semta said: "Some people wrongly believe the best days of Great British engineering are behind us - we know that to be untrue.
"Britain is still revered in the World of engineering and advanced manufacturing - we have the very brightest brains in the business doing extraordinary things for thousands of companies across the globe.
"Our awards have once again unearthed the country's most talented engineers and fantastic companies - all great role models for Great Britain."
To see videos of all the winners log on to www.semta.org.uk/skillsawards
For more information, please visit: www.semta.org.uk
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