Members of the House of Commons Science and Technology Select Committee visited the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) to hear about how research and innovation is creating new jobs and boosting economic growth across the West Midlands. The committee met with Clive Hickman, chief executive of the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC), Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, and Katherine Bennett CBE, CEO of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult. The group toured the MTC’s Antsy Park campus to see first-hand the advanced research and development work taking place across the site.

For further information www.the-mtc.org

Walter Ewag UK, the Warwick-based source of Walter and Ewag tool and insert grinding/erosion/laser processing machines, as well as Walter tool measuring machines, has promoted Matthew Redfern to customer care co-ordinator. Redfern has been with Walter Ewag UK for almost 10 years as a service technician, after an apprenticeship with a specialist tooling supplier that led to various roles, including machinery maintenance. He says his new position interacting with an extensive UK-wide customer base “will complement my enthusiasm for getting hands on and solving customer problems”.

For further information
www.walter-machines.com

Businesses across Yorkshire and Humber are set to benefit from £1.5m of funding towards industrial digitalisation, from the Made Smarter programme. The programme aims to improve digital adoption among SMEs in Yorkshire and Humber, and includes intensive one-to-one advice and support delivered through growth hubs in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Hull and east Yorkshire, northeast Lincolnshire, York and North Yorkshire. Through the programme, South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority expects to be able to fund and support around 500 Yorkshire and Humber manufacturers.

For further information
https://is.gd/piqude

Rolls-Royce has delivered its 1000th Trent XWB–84, achieving another key milestone for the engine programme. The engine, which will power an Airbus A350-900, was built at the company’s production test facility in Derby. Following its entry into service in 2015, the Trent XWB-84 quickly became the fastest selling large engine of all time. It has now achieved more than 8 million engine flying hours in service with more than 30 operators, demonstrating its versatility and capability by flying a range of different routes, from short-range segments to ultra-long-range flights of more than 18 hours.

For further information www.rolls-royce.com

Bentley Motors has announced the company’s biggest-ever intake of trainees for 2022. A phased recruitment drive will see a total of 113 new recruits beginning their careers at the company’s headquarters in Crewe. The successful individuals will take up positions in lean manufacturing, systems and electrical engineering and business management, for example. Additionally, around 20% of the intake will be in digital skills such as software engineering and data science.

Dr Karen Lange, member of the board for HR, says: “The automotive industry is going through unprecedented change; we are transforming and so are those around us. That’s why we’re committed to continuing our focus on our early careers intake and developing the future talent that will help transform our future skills requirements.”

For further information www.bentleycareers.com