Engineering and fabrication specialist WEC Group has announced a major apprenticeship recruitment drive at its £3m, 25,000 sq ft engineering and welding academy in Blackburn, as well as its Knowsley, Rotherham, Coventry and Sherburn-In-Elmet based divisions. A total of 53 new apprentice vacancies are currently required for its September intake, double that of last year. Since starting its apprenticeship scheme in 2006, WEC Group has grown from 200 employees to over 900, creating a loyal workforce by harnessing fresh talent and skills.

For further information
www.wec-group.com

Having decided to take the plunge by opening for business in August 2020, motorsport specialist Northants Precision found it was being asked to respond to requests for quotations (RFQs) straight away. “To improve our business administration we looked at a few different software suppliers and chose the modular PSL Datatrack system,” explains owner Dan Green. “It was really simple to use, visually user friendly and very self-explanatory. It was also the ideal choice for Northants Precision, a small company in the start-up phase, where speed of quoting would be important in securing new business.”

For further information
www.psldatatrack.com

Make UK Defence is staging a ‘meet the buyer’ event targeted at businesses from the emerging technologies sector. The virtual event on 16-17 June aims to connect defence and space companies with innovation from the research and start-up ecosystem, early TRL levels, and aid with supply chain development for the future. Using the Swapcard platform, the event already features buyers from Aquila, Babcock, Defence & Security Accelerator, Leonardo Electronics, Leonardo Helicopters, QinetiQ, Raytheon, RBSL, Teledyne e2v and Thales, with more to announcements soon.

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

Nova Scientia, a supplier of fibre-optic monitoring and predictive maintenance for advanced engineering, is now operational with a fully functional, progressive R&D department thanks to the successful move last month and installation of a state-of-the-art machine and optical table. The table measures 2.4 x 1.2 m and weighs almost half a tonne, which is why factory relocation specialist IES was appointed to the project. The table was raised using a 45-tonne crane and positioned safely on a landing platform, before being moved inside the building using skoots and transported to its final destination.

For further information
www.ies.co.uk

The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is celebrating its 150th anniversary following its formation on 17 May 1871. To date, the IET has built a global community of 158,000 members across 153 countries, spanning all disciplines of engineering and technology. The Institution comprises over 40 predecessor organisations that can trace their history as far back as 1854 with the Society of Engineers (SoE). In 2005, the SoE was absorbed into the Institution of Incorporated Engineers (IIE) and then, in 2006, the IIE merged with the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE) to form the IET.

For further information
www.theiet.org/150