Lecturers share cutting-edge engineering knowledge at UK conference

Coleg Menai engineering lecturers recently shared their insight into developing cutting-edge technological skills at a major national conference.

‘Preparing Tomorrow's Workforce in Engineering’ was hosted by tech giant Autodesk in partnership with skills training charity WorldSkillsUK.

Lecturers Bryn Jones, Eva Voma and Geraint Rowlands were all invited to speak at the conference, which aimed to promote the benefits of skills competitions within emerging technologies.

They were joined at Autodesk’s UK manufacturing headquarters in Birmingham by a team of lecturers and managers from across Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.

The conference featured a series of technical masterclasses designed to equip educators and industry mentors with the tools, insights and networks to inspire the next generation of engineers and product designers.

Bryn, Geraint and Eva were invited to present to share their experience as mentors and competitors in skills competitions.

Bryn and Geraint are the WorldSkills UK training managers for additive manufacturing and industrial electronics respectively, while Eva is a former WorldSkills UK bronze medallist in additive manufacturing.

In their sessions, Bryn and Geraint spoke about how competitions in their respective fields benefit students, apprentices and educators, thus advancing the capabilities of the future workforce.

Eva spoke about her journey from student to lecturer at Coleg Menai, highlighting the experience and expertise she gained from competitions.

Fellow Coleg Menai lecturer Osian Roberts was also on hand to share his insights into how competing helped him develop. Osian won WorldSkills UK gold in CNC Turning in 2023, and like Eva, is a former student-turned-lecturer at the Llangefni campus.

Also among the Grŵp Llandrillo Menai cohort were Coleg Llandrillo assistant principal Damian Woodford and engineering programme area manager Tim Peel, along with lecturers from both the Llangefni and Rhyl campuses.

They were given a tour of Autodesk’s manufacturing headquarters, and attended various masterclasses which will help to further enhance the first-class engineering provision available at Grŵp Llandrillo Menai.

Bryn said: “It was a very positive day and we had lots of good feedback. The idea was to inspire educators across the UK and engage them in skills competitions, showing them the benefits of being involved, both from the lecturers’ point of view and that of the competitors.

“We demonstrated how participating in competitions can benefit not just the students’ development, but also the day-to-day work of educators, in terms of improving resources and inspiring higher standards.”

Autodesk’s education manager Iwan Roberts, previously a lecturer at Coleg Menai, said: “It was fantastic to see so many educators and industry professionals coming together, eager to introduce WorldSkills competitions to their colleges and become part of an ever-growing community of like-minded, passionate educators.

“A huge thank you goes out to the speakers from Grŵp Llandrillo Menai, Gower College and the three Autodesk Learning Partners present for their incredible efforts and contributions. They truly were at the heart of the event, driving its success.

“We’re fortunate to have such strong candidates in these roles across the UK, inspiring not only the next generation with incredible opportunities but also empowering educators to prepare tomorrow’s engineering workforce.”

Autodesk is a world-leading tech company creating software for film special effects, manufacturing and design, and construction.

In 2023, the firm donated a huge 3D printer to Coleg Menai, in recognition of the engineering department’s innovative work using Autodesk’s Fusion360 package to teach computer-aided design and manufacturing.

Want to learn more about the exciting world of engineering with Grŵp Llandrillo Menai? Find out more about our courses here.