Latest News

These lightweight, functional tops are designed for work in warmer weather and come in a range of over 50 T- and Polo shirt styles.

From the new Khaki to Class 1,2 and 3 High-Vis options, Snickers Workwear has tops and colour choices for those professional tradesmen and women who want to look and stay cool on site this summer.

Look out for the LiteWork tops, all made from a functional and quick-drying polyester fabric that delivers everyday comfort and UPF40+ protection in sunny weather. They also have a bio based anti-odour finish for cool, ventilating comfort when it’s warm on site.

Whatever style option you choose, every Snickers Workwear summer top has a street-smart body-mapping design for a great fit, outstanding functionality and long-lasting comfort – all day, every day.

 (Ends 138 words)

Getting more information on the Snickers Workwear clothing range is easy. You can call the Helpline on 01484 854788; check out www.snickersworkwear.co.uk and or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Lead

New statistics from renowned STEM recruitment consultancy, Matchtech highlights the growing need to diversify as 50% of companies struggle to hire and retain a skilled workforce across core STEM sectors. 

Statistics show that only 5.3% of the current STEM workforce originate from outside of the EU as the ongoing skills shortage continues with a shortfall of over 173,000 workers. 

Currently, around 87% of the current STEM workforce are UK nationals. By diversifying and reaching professionals outside the EU, the UK can promote innovation, help bridge the ongoing skills shortage and ensure equal opportunities. 

In addition, broader opportunities are needed to open career paths for the ‘forgotten generation’ of young people from rural and coastal areas around the UK. Official ONS statistics revealed that around 2.2 million young people living in rural and seaside areas are often blighted by high unemployment and few major employers. A lack of professional networks in these ‘cold spots’ means youngsters are twice as likely to give up on their dreams, particularly in STEM subjects. 

To create opportunities for overseas candidates, and those in rural cold spots, STEM recruitment consultancies should align more closely with international networks, as well as the education and training sectors, to pave the way for a new generation of professionals. 

Currently, statistics show that the STEM industry remains male dominated, with only 16% of the current workforce being female. Within education, only 35% of females are studying towards a STEM qualification.

To help address location and gender gaps, Matchtech is partnering with Talent Tap, a leading UK charity targeting social mobility cold spots, to connect a pool of young professionals and broaden opportunities across various STEM proficiencies.

The statistics also highlighted the need to broaden the candidate pool within recruitment to include adjacent industry sectors and upskill current employees to take on more advanced roles. This will help combat the issue of staff retention, which remains an ongoing struggle.

For almost four decades, Matchtech has continually observed the skills in the dynamic landscape to match skilled candidates to opportunities across the wider STEM industry. In recent years, engineering has become more closely aligned with technology creating broader opportunities. 

As a result, more varied roles incorporating a fusion of digital, engineering, and technology proficiencies have opened, particularly within cloud computing, cybersecurity, and software development that is now integral to society.

Matthew Wragg, CEO at Matchtech comments: “The ongoing skills gap facing the STEM industry is a significant challenge. These statistics provide insight into potential measures to bridge the gap and safeguard the industry for future generations. By diversifying and recruiting overseas talent, we enrich the talent pool with new perspectives while addressing the skills shortage. 

“The recruitment sector also needs to align with training and education professionals to develop apprenticeships to create opportunities for those in more rural areas who may find it more challenging to seek training and careers without relocating to larger cities.

“To help retain talent, boost morale, and combat the skills gap internally, companies should invest in the current workforce by providing further training and development to help upskill professionals and evolve with the STEM landscape.”

Part of the Gattaca Group, Matchtech has almost 40 years of experience in engineering recruitment and has formed strong partnerships in several crucial sectors, including engineering, aerospace, automotive, energy, infrastructure, and maritime. 

A recent restructure of Gattaca’s recruitment brands saw Networkers and Resourcing Solutions adopt the Matchtech brand to enhance its positioning within the recruitment sector and make it a trusted STEM partner. 

Full research and statistics can be found here: https://www.matchtech.com/resources/insights

This article can also be found in the issue below.

The new DX1063 multifunction display module from ifm electronic provides a simple and effective way of displaying key data locally on a machine or process plant, making it much easier for operators to keep an eye on status when they’re away from the main operating position. To maximise its versatility, the DX1063 is compatible with most commonly used analogue input signal types. It incorporates a high-resolution TFT display that offers a wide range of colour and digital labelling options.

Measuring 48 mm high x 109 mm wide and just 42 mm deep, the DX1063 is large for essential data to be read from a considerable distance but small enough to be accommodated in almost any control panel. It detects and converts voltage, current, frequency, pulse counter and thermocouple inputs, displaying the results directly in units specified by the user. The unit is also shown, along with the signal name and location tag, so that the meaning of the displayed value is always readily apparent.

To further increase the usefulness of the DX1063, the display's background colour can be altered according to the value of the input signal. This means, for example, that a green background could be programmed for a signal in the normal range and red for an alarm condition. The DX1063 also has two relay outputs that the user can configure to pass alarm signals to the plant control or supervisory systems.

What led to this condition?" is one of the most common questions asked in the course of inspecting faulty or damaged rolling bearings. For machines with rotating shafts, the focus is on monitoring the rolling bearings. As the interface between the shaft and the machine foundation, they have to absorb the resulting forces. This means that faults and damage in design and operation have a particularly strong effect on rolling bearings. This is precisely what makes them suitable measurement points. Although rolling bearings are among the most important components in most machines, there is often a lack of effective methods for monitoring them. Monitoring (trending) is performed to detect changes or deterioration in condition. For this purpose, simple characteristic values are recorded by means of recurring measurements and their change is observed over time. If an alarm value is exceeded, measures must be initiated. If it is a first warning level, a detailed analysis is carried out first and, if necessary, the time interval until the next measurement is shortened. In order to identify a fault or damage pattern and determine the causes, special evaluations of the measurement data must be carried out. Simple characteristic values are not sufficient for this purpose. At this point, the maintenance measure can be planned accordingly, depending on the severity of the damage level and the possible cause. If the actual alarm level is exceeded, the machine must be stopped either immediately or as soon as possible. The maintenance actions must then be carried out immediately.

BS40: Innovative and reliable solution

The new BS40 broadband structure-borne sound sensor was developed by SONOTEC to help companies worldwide better maintain their rolling bearings. This practical and robust sensor is ideal for condition monitoring on machines with rotating parts. The product design impresses with a laser-welded stainless steel housing. The ¼"-28 UNF threaded bolt allows for maximum flexibility in mounting as well as in use, as the BS40 can be used with magnets for flat or curved surfaces. In addition, the BS40 can also be screwed to adhesive pads with an internal thread, resulting in excellent reproducibility. The optimized sensor characteristic in the range from 10 to 65 kHz ensures a nearly linear frequency response. An extension of the ultrasonic frequency range to <1 kHz also offers even greater flexibility in machine diagnostics. The sensor incorporates a piezocomposite material developed by SONOTEC that helps overcome the drawbacks of many solutions available on the market. Thus, a more reliable evaluation of bearings is possible.

SONAPHONE & LevelMeter App: Intuitive Hardware and Software Solutions

With the intuitive LevelMeter App, the SONAPHONE® digital ultrasonic flaw detector enables broadband measurements and determination of characteristic values. Due to the high sampling rate of 256 kS/s, signals up to 128 kHz can be analyzed. Up to this limit, characteristic values can be calculated and audio signals can be generated based on the filter settings. The instrument provides two methods for converting the ultrasonic signals into the audible frequency range. The heterodyne method is used when a narrowband transformation (bandwidth 4 kHz) is needed, while the vocoder method is suitable for a wideband transformation. The live signal is displayed as time signal, level graph and spectrogram.

Condition Monitoring Excellence

The powerful combination of the SONAPHONE®, the intuitive LevelMeter app, the broadband BS40 sensor and the maintenance task management software - SONAPHONE DataSuite - help you achieve the highest possible efficiency in your ultrasonic condition monitoring program. This holistic ultrasonic solution helps the maintenance team ensure that your equipment production processes are running smoothly. Timely maintenance actions can prevent costly downtime and costly repairs. Decisions regarding bearing lubrication can also be made based on acoustic feedback rather than time interval. With ultrasonic testing equipment developed and manufactured in Germany, it is now possible to detect rolling bearing damage at an early stage and optimize lubrication.

You can find out more about SONOTEC ultrasonic testing equipment at www.sonotec.eu

this article can also be found in the issue below.

IF WE’RE NOT REFLECTING SOCIETY, THEN WE’RE NOT CREATING SOLUTIONS FOR ALL OF SOCIETY

20th June 2023, London, UK – Next week’s International Women in Engineering Day 2023 (INWED, 23rd June) was recently profiled at a First Friday Editors’ Briefing in Central London. The thought-leadership panel discussion featuring leading women in the field of industrial engineering met to discuss Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) and the reality of being a woman in the workplace. Attitudes to UK Industry (ATUKI) also unveiled its latest public perceptions report on Attitudes to Women in Engineering. Chaired by the CEO of The Royal Academy of Engineering and Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering Dr. Hayaatun Sillem, CBE, topics included how influential families are in encouraging children into engineering careers through to how inclusion avoids exclusion.

Dr. Sillem opened the session: “The engineering profession today is comprised of only 16.5% women, there are a whole raft of reasons about why it should be such an urgent priority because engineers shape the world that we live in. They design, deliver, and maintain the physical and digital infrastructure. They serve society and as such need to reflect society”.

Dame Dawn Childs, DBE, president of the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) and CEO of Pure Data Centres Group added: “INWED was created by WES to try to meet some of the challenges of diversity in engineering. It’s been a slow and hugely problematic process. As a business leader I believe that diversity drives the bottom line. If we’re not reflecting society then we’re not creating solutions for society. We’re effectively stopping half of the products that are needed from coming to market”.

Identifying how engineering fits into the world is a mantra offered by Primary Engineer which last year helped over 48,000 children of school age realise that engineering could be for them. Dr. Susan Scurlock, MBE, CEO of Primary Engineer said: “The inclusivity piece for us is about every child having the opportunity to have the experience of what engineering gets, what it does and how it fits into the world. It’s about children understanding the context of learning, so that they learn the curriculum through the lens of engineering and their support groups understand where it fits”.

All of the panellists cited their parents as having some form of influence over their decision to be an engineer. Dr. Sillem added: “Young people don’t make their career decisions in a vacuum. Parents and the others who influence them are really important to this topic”.

Katy Deacon, chair of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) EDI panel is in a positive position to influence how an organisation with such a large footprint is moving the EDI agenda forward. She said: “If you include everybody and you accept people for what they are and what they can bring then you will get a true reflection of the different perspectives within out society. This includes people with disabilities and other non-physical differences – neurodiversity for instance”. As a wheelchair user, Katy knows first hand how important the inclusivity piece is. “Disabled engineers bring a whole new perspective on the world. We (IET) are striving forward and showing the industry that you can get some incredible benefits by embracing EDI”.

Dr. Sillem said: “For me, inclusion is a culture piece. And this is creating a culture in which every single person feels welcome, feels safe, feels valued and feels able to contribute in full. Some people say it’s about equality, some equity, I say it’s about fairness and parity of experience and opportunity”.

There are organisations that are pioneering the EDI conversation and making real inroads into the agenda. For instance, thirty four percent of Schneider Electric’s workforce is women and the executive committee boasts a forty four percent representation. Forty one percent of new hires are women.

Kristin Baker, VP Industrial Automation UK & Ireland at Schneider Electric said: “EDI at Schneider Electric has been a journey from which many businesses can learn. Our focus on diversity has built a pipeline of talent that is now entering the business. Our graduate schemes, apprentice programmes and role modelling the women in the business has led to thirty four percent of our workforce and forty four percent of our executive committee being female. We’ve made really good progress”, but it’s not been without its challenges.

“The topic has now shifted to inclusion, because that’s where we’ve identified a potential problem area. We’re bringing women into the business, but they are not always staying. We’ve done some work to try to understand the root causes. Some of the feedback from the field was as simple as PPE not fitting right, which is something we’ve addressed. However other feedback was more deep seated in the culture and make-up of the wider eco-system we’re working in.  In the construction industry for instance there is a lot of sub-contracting – very small players, often from other parts of Europe, with different cultures, different experiences with women in the workplace. Our team members in some instance found the onsite environment challenging as the inclusion approach and ways of working that Schneider Electric has adopted were often not the same way the wider industry was working.  We’ve worked on creating allyship to really bring together our male counterparts onsite with those women so that they feel supported in that environment”.

Looking at regional differences, especially in developing countries is something that Aleesha Choudhry founder of WeSpeak identified. “I’ve seen a lot of mentoring programmes that help people on a local basis, but with my programme we connect girls in developing countries or low-income places and we connect them with professional women from all around the world. What’s the chance that your perfect female mentor is just down the road? Especially when we are talking about these environments. Our programme helps deliver active mentorship for women and girls online, wherever they are.”

Attitudes to UK Industry runs regular reports on the attitudes of the UK public. Taking a sample of 2,000 UK adults, the most recent report suggests that whilst the sector is taking positive steps towards a fairer, more diverse workforce, there is still a way to go when it comes to encouraging influencers of children and young adults when it comes to choosing a career in engineering. Tom Spencer, MD at Cadence Innovation Marketing, sponsors of ATUKI said: “Just over six in ten (65%) of those surveyed agreed that there should be more women engineers. One in ten (12%) people aged between 25-34 feel that engineering is not a suitable career for women. Nearly one third (29%) of people in the same age group expressed surprise that there are so many women in engineering, despite official figures reporting 16.5% of the workforce is women”.

this article can also be found in the issue below.

London-based manufacturing specialist, Get It Made, has launched a new 2023 grant to support the potential of women in innovation and to boost the growth of female employment within UK industry.

To mark International Women in Engineering Day on 23^rd June, the initiative is tailored exclusively to female-led, engineering, design, tech and manufacturing enterprises, including start-ups, with the grant recipient set to receive £5,000. In addition to financial support, Get It Made will also be offering its expertise to help guide young female-led businesses through the challenges facing any young company in a challenging economic environment.

First launched last year, the initiative attracted hundreds of applicants from all over the UK and will once again champion female entrepreneurship in traditionally male-dominated sectors.     

The grant is available to female-founded or female-led engineering enterprises with fewer than 10 employees. Applications for this grant close at midnight on 31st July 2023, and can be submitted through the website here.

Jenny Button, Founder and CEO of FemTech start-up Emm, which is creating a menstrual health wearable and app, and was last year’s grant winner, said: “The grant has allowed us to rapidly iterate designs and bridge the gap between prototyping and production tooling, especially for an application that is so intimate and challenging. Innovation isn’t easy so this funding enables us to do much more for less; we hope it will encourage more women in innovation to get their ideas further, as well as draw more investment to underfunded areas such as female health and wellbeing.”

Luke Smoothy, Founder of Get It Made, commented: “For the second year running, we are delighted to be able to offer our support again to the continued efforts of increasing female representation within UK industry – namely the engineering, design, tech and manufacturing sectors. Grants such as ours are aimed at removing the barriers which are still standing in the way of female-founded enterprises. We’re gradually seeing some encouraging signs - for instance, research last year showed that 16.5% of those working in engineering are female, compared to 10.5% as reported in 2010. However, it’s not enough; this growth also needs to be reflected across all areas of work where women are underrepresented.”

https://get-it-made.co.uk/

this article can also be found in issue below.

As the sector gears up to celebrate International Women in Engineering Day (23 June), EngineeringUK has released a new report which brings together the available evidence on interventions that aim to increase girls’ aspirations for engineering and technology careers.

Despite some improvements, women are still significantly underrepresented in engineering and technology - making up just 16.5% of the engineering workforce, compared with 47.7% of the overall workforce. Providing high-quality impactful STEM outreach activities for girls is a vital part of addressing this.

A summary of existing evidence, the report aims to inform programme design and delivery for STEM engagement practitioners and funders, and to highlight gaps where more evidence is needed. 

Anna Horgan-Jones, Evaluation Manager at EngineeringUK, comments “Engineering doesn’t feature highly on school curriculums so high-quality impactful STEM engagement activities are vital in helping to inform and inspire young girls towards these careers.

“We hope the learnings identified in our report will be helpful for STEM outreach providers and will support efforts to improve gender diversity in engineering and technology. However, our review found that there are some gaps in the current evidence, so it will be important that research and evaluation in this area continues to develop.”

The review is split into 5 main sections including activities for primary school students, programmes designed specifically for girls, role models and mentors, links to higher education and careers and summer camps.

Some of the key learnings highlighted across these sections include:

• Start engaging girls with engineering and technology activities at a young age
• Include activities that challenge gender stereotypes around engineering and technology
• Learn about the needs, interests, and preferences of girls when designing outreach programmes
• Understand the limitations of gender as a binary concept
• The use of role models that are a similar age can help bridge the developmental gap between students and professionals
• Showcase a range of engineering and technology careers

The report ‘Rapid Evidence Review - Interventions to increase girls’ aspirations for engineering and technology careers’- is available to download at: www.engineeeringuk.com/rer-girls

Find out more about ‘International Women in Engineering Day’ at: www.inwed.org.uk

WOMEN in engineering will be inspired and empowered at an event to celebrate their place in this dynamic sector.

Sellafield Ltd Women’s Engineering Society is hosting the day at Energus on Wednesday (June 21) ahead of International Women in Engineering Day on Friday (June 23).

The theme for the event is safety and security with a number of speakers lined up. 

There will also be self development sessions on assertiveness delivered by the Centre For Leadership Performance, and the event is also an opportunity to network. 

Supporting the day are a number of stalls for attendees to visit. Companies including: Arup, The Institution of Engineering and Technology, the Civil Nuclear Constabulary and Forth will be showcasing their commitment to safety and security and promoting women in the engineering sector.

The event aims to promote diversity in engineering, encouraging more women to pursue careers in the sector. In the afternoon the doors will open to all members of the public with the intention that women and girls contemplating a career in engineering will come and meet those established in the industry.

Engineers and leaders will share their personal journeys, challenges, and triumphs, offering invaluable insights into the world of engineering and the opportunities it presents for women.

Lorna Devine, Sellafield’s Engineering Development Solutions Lead, said: “Events like this one are so important in our calendar. For those already in the business it’s a chance to network, get career guidance and support from like minded women and to become aware of emerging industry initiatives and opportunities, particularly embracing this year’s theme of safety and security. 

“It was equally important to us to open the event up in the afternoon to those who are looking for a career in engineering.

“Seeing is believing and we hope to inspire and engage more women into engineering. We work hard to get the message out there that this industry is open to everyone. It’s an incredibly rewarding and fascinating career.”

Lorna, based at Sellafield’s Engineering Centre of Excellence at Cleator Moor, is a proud example of home grown talent. Born in Cleator, educated locally before studying degree apprenticeship in engineering with Gen2 she’s the perfect role model for young women looking to engineering.

Now, she leads innovative six-week sprint projects at Sellafield’s Engineering Centre of Excellence which looks at industry solutions which save time, money and help remove people from hazardous environments.

She added: ‘‘Sellafield is an incredibly supportive employer and there are opportunities right across the business. At the Engineering Centre of Excellence we have an inclusive and empowering environment and at events like this one we get the chance to spread the word further.

“Our Women’s Engineering Society provides a safe place for female employees to discuss any issues they may have, seek a mentor and get any support they need in the workplace. We are incredibly proud of what we have set up here.”

Holly Maxwell, Lead System Engineer, set up the mentoring programme for female engineers at Sellafield. 

She said: “Building a strong network is crucial for career growth, and this event will offer an environment for meaningful interactions.

“The event celebrates the growing presence of women in engineering and the vital role they play in driving innovation and progress in the industry. 

“By shining a spotlight on their achievements, this event aims to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and promote equal opportunities for women in engineering.

“By embracing this year’s theme those who attend will leave with a greater level of understanding of what they can do to help keep everyone safe and secure.”

Event details - Energus Building, Lillyhall. The morning session is by invitation only but the doors are open to the public 2pm-4pm.

Photo: Lorna Devine and Holly Maxwell who, as members of Sellafield Ltd Women’s Engineering Society, are helping to host an event to promote women in engineering at Energus on Wednesday, June 21, ahead of International Women in Engineering Day on Friday (June 23).

Winners chosen on ability to innovate, impact they’ve had on their niche, and other compelling factors, including the benefits each company brings to its customers VANCOUVER, Wash.– RealWear, the pioneer of assisted reality wearable solutions for frontline industrial professionals, has won ‘Best Manufacturing and Industrial Solution’ at the XR Today Awards 2023. The annual XR Awards celebrate the best in AR/VR/MR innovation, and the online event invites international firms and individuals to come forward to showcase their achievements in the immersive industry.

The win follows RealWear being named ‘Best Industrial Solution’, ‘Best Construction Solution’ and ‘Best Automotive Solution’ at last year’s awards. Out of the almost 400 entries for this year’s event, only 16 applicants walked away a winner. XR Today gathered an esteemed group of industry professionals to judge the event; each selected expert representing a wealth of industry insight and diversity.

This year’s judges included Amy LaMeyer, the Managing Partner of the WXR Fund, Amy Peck, the Founder & CEO of EndeavorXR, Sophia Moshasha, the VP of the VR/AR Association’s DC Chapter, Dr Faisal Mushtaq, Associate Director of the Centre for Immersive Technologies, Amelia Kallman, London Futurist, Speaker, Author, Tom Ffiske of Immersive Wire, Yanna Zhu, a Metaverse & XR Specialist at BCG, and Jay Latta, an Emerging Technology Strategist. “We’re immensely proud of our continued industry recognition. Having won in three separate categories just last year, and now being recognized as the Best Manufacturing and Industrial Solution, it’s a testament to our customer-focused solution strategy,” stated Jon Arnold, Vice President of EMEA at RealWear.

“This recognition from XR Today highlights the substantial value we bring to our customers through our innovative solutions. RealWear's unwavering commitment to delivering cutting-edge assisted reality solutions for the manufacturing and industrial sectors has played a pivotal role in securing this prestigious accolade.” RealWear headsets are considered the gold standard of wearables for the modern frontline professional. Its flagship device, RealWear Navigator® 520, enables frontline professionals to pull up schematics and blueprints, conduct guided workflows, and leverage AI and computer vision to identify parts defects in realtime. With this latest honor from XR Today, RealWear reaffirms its commitment to delivering transformative solutions that revolutionize the future of work

www.realwear.com