BEP Surface Technologies reinforced its commitment to skills development and earlycareers engagement with a recent hands-on visit to Hazel Wood High School in Bury, Greater Manchester. Managing director Andrew McClusky and design engineer Callum Taylordeliveredinteractive sessions to Year 8 and Year 9 students.To support engagement, BEP used an illustrated storybook to explain its role within industry in an accessible way. During the day, BEP delivered ten 12-minute small-group sessions, creating space for open discussion on engineering careers, apprenticeships and technical routes into manufacturing.

More information www.bep-st.com

SME manufacturers are bringing AI, automation and digital twins to the factory floor by teaming up with students and graduates through Made Smarter’s Digital Internship Programme.The paid placements give businesses a fast, low-risk way to test and apply new technologies, modernise processes and build confidence in digital transformation, while giving students real, hands-on experience inside actual manufacturing plants.Over the past year, Made Smarter North West’s latest cohort of 18 interns have worked directly on factory floors and in engineering teams, applying digital technologies to real production challenges.

More information www.bit.ly/4qxnagl

MTC Training is opening a new advanced manufacturing training centre at Cobalt Park, near Newcastle, bringing high‑quality apprenticeships, upskilling and reskilling programmes to the northeast. Launching this summer, the new centre will offer hands‑on courses that include PLC programming, mechanical &electrical, and automation – with engineering apprenticeships starting from September 2026.Supported by Lloyds, MTC Training Tyneside will help local employers develop the skills they need for the future and create new opportunities for learners across the region.More information www.mtc-training.org

BMW Group’s UK engine production facility located in North Warwickshire is marking a major landmark: 25 years since it commenced production. In that time, the Hams Hall plant has manufactured more than 7.6 million engines, with the high-precision machining of key engine components proving a key capability.

The facility’s machining function has witnessed significant growth. Originally only manufacturing for the plant’s own engine production, the precision machining facility has trebled itscapacity over the past decade. This expansion has increased annual production to more than 1 million components and extended its supply to BMW Group’s engine manufacturing plant in Steyr, Austria.

More information www.bit.ly/4aSvBOH

EngineeringUK’s popularnational campaign, Tomorrow’s Engineers Week,is set to return for 2026.Taking place on 9-13 November, the week will celebrate British engineering and technology while showcasing exciting career opportunities to inspire the next generation.Each year, thousands of students from across the UK take part in the celebration. From classroom activities and assemblies to Q&A sessions with real engineers, young people get the chance to discover the exciting and impactful world of engineering and technology. Now in its 14^th year, 2025 saw a record 60,000 pupils take part.

More information www.bit.ly/4tDE5AL