Lucy Group backs budding engineering talent at Oxfordshire schools

The annual Oxfordshire High Sheriff Young Engineer Awards were held this week at Abingdon & Witney College, recognising students who show great promise in the fields of engineering, resistant materials and design technology.

State schools across the county were invited to nominate students aged 12 to 18 across three age categories – Years 8 and 9, Years 10 and 11, and Years 12 and 13.

The awards were sponsored by Abingdon & Witney College, the Engineering Trust, and Lucy Group, an Oxford company that engineers smart electrics for the built environment.

Richard Dick, executive chairman of Lucy Group and founder of the awards, said: “The immense talent and enthusiasm on show this year is truly inspiring and gives me every reason to be optimistic about the future of engineering and manufacturing in the UK. 

“These students are not just tomorrow’s apprentices and graduates – they represent a future generation of innovators and leaders who’ll be vitally important to the economic prosperity of our nation and the sustainability of our planet.”

The judging panel comprised Richard Dick, James Macnamara (High Sheriff of Oxfordshire), Andy Linfoot (engineering director at Lucy Electric) and Mark Vingoe (CEO of the Engineering Trust).

Prizes included £400 for the winning student in each category and £1,000 for the students’ respective school or college.

There were also runner-up prizes in each category, a Team Award and an overall High Sheriff Award.

Mark Vingoe of The Engineering Trust added: “Each year, the High Sheriff Young Engineer Awards showcase young people with an intrinsic interest and enthusiasm for engineering.

“We train hundreds of apprentices each year across the breadth of the engineering and manufacturing sector, and the finalists, as well as all those who entered the competition, are the future of our industry.

“Employers would be lucky to have any of them join their workforce.”