Make UK has partnered with support platform Next Gen Makers to develop an engineering apprenticeships employer kitemark that will recognise companies who achieve a best-practice benchmark and thus endorse them as an exemplary employer of apprentices.
The kitemark will be available to companies that are part of the recently launched Engineering Apprenticeships: Best Practice Programme – a Make UK backed initiative that helps to overcome skills challenges and build talent for future success. It is open to any UK engineering or manufacturing company running an engineering apprenticeship programme.

For further information
www.nextgenmakers.co.uk/best-practice

Make UK has welcomed the latest cohort of 170 engineering apprentices to its Technology Hub in Aston, Birmingham – a 41% year-on-year increase in its intake. The apprentices, who will be studying a range of courses from Level 2 Welding Operator to Level 3 Engineering Technician, will spend the next 12 months with Make UK, learning the technical side of their chosen specialism, as well as other areas like health and safety and time management, before returning to their employers, which include companies such as Severn Trent, Jaguar Land Rover, Ibsock, Forterra and Ishida.

For further information
www.makeuk.org

The Engineering Supply Chain Show is a new exhibition where engineering and manufacturing buyers can find world-class suppliers. Organised by The Manufacturing Technologies Association and hosted at the NEC in April 2022, this show-within-a-show is part of the MACH exhibition, but sits as a separate three-day event. Running on 5-7 April, the Engineering Supply Chain Show will have its own location and entrance in Hall 7, directly alongside MACH 2022. Sponsored by Lloyds Bank and the Engineering Industries Association (EIA), this new exhibition has grown out of increased demand for the UK Supply Chain Zone at MACH.

For further information
www.engineeringsupplychain.co.uk

As part of its ongoing growth strategy, Dugard has employed a new area sales manager to support customers in Scotland. With almost 15 years of industry experience, Andrew Sutton will be a welcome addition to the Dugard team. He joins from a well-recognised cutting tool and ancillary equipment distribution company. Says Sutton: “Dugard has a significant number of machines installed in Scotland that will act as reference points, so I’ll be aiming to apply my previous experience and contacts to further grow the brand, while ensuring that existing Dugard customers are fully up to speed with all of our new machines.”

For further information
www.dugard.com

During September and October, XYZ Machine Tools says it will dispatch around 100 machines to customers in the UK and across mainland Europe. Given the company’s reputation for keeping high stock levels, some 87 machines had arrived (to replace those sold) by mid-September, with a further 116 arriving by the end of October. “As UK manufacturers continue to bounce back, we are seeing significant demand for quick-delivery machines,” says Nigel Atherton, XYZ’s managing director. “While the rapid increase in orders impacted our stock, customers can be assured of our usual first-class response to their needs.”

For further information www.xyzmachinetools.com