Not-for-profit organisation EngineeringUK says Thales will join Siemens as a key supporter for top awards at the next Big Bang UK Young Scientists & Engineers Competition. A global specialist in advanced technologies, Thales will support the UK Young Engineer of the Year award for the first time, while Siemens will return to support the UK Young Technologist of the Year award. The Big Bang Competition invites students aged 11 to 18 from state-funded schools, home education or community groups to enter a STEM project. All participants receive feedback from STEM professionals to help them learn and improve their skills.

More information www.bit.ly/48NjrVc

Torishima Service Solutions Europe (TSSE) has acquired of KRG Specialist Engineering Services (KRG) located in Coatbridge, Scotland. KRG is a subcontract precision engineering company that will provide TSSE and its parent company Torishima Pump Manufacturing of Japan with additional machining capabilities and resources. Both TSSE and KRG have complementary engineering expertise and can jointly provide their customer base with a fuller range of services. KRG was founded in 1978 as a family owned business and has grown significantly to employ 82 people and generate turnover of £8.7m (2024).

More information www.torishima.co.uk

A £725m package of reforms to the apprenticeship system will help tackle youth unemployment and drive economic growth, with as many as 50,000 more young people expected to benefit over the next three years. As part of the package, the Government will cover the full cost of apprenticeships for eligible young people under 25 at SMEs. Businesses will also gain from a boost in flexibility as new short courses in cutting-edge areas including AI, engineering and digital skills will commence rollout from April. This includes working closely with the defence sector to develop a suite of flexible, work-based training options.

More information www.gov.uk

Not-for-profit organisation EngineeringUK has appointed three new trustees to its board: James Murnieks, Jo Passingham and Neil Young. Murnieks is CFO and executive director at Siemens UK and Ireland, while Passingham is currently interim CEO of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). Young is global engineering capability director at Babcock International Group, where he leads engineering strategy areas around people, process and tools. EngineeringUK chair Iain Conn says: “Our new trustees bring new perspectives that I’m sure will provide insightful contributions to our work.”

More information www.engineeringuk.com