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KMF secures Skills Innovation Award

kmf at semta awards

KMF Group beat off some strong competition last night at the Semta Skills Awards 2017 at London's Hilton Hotel, to pick up the esteemed award of Skills Innovation of the Year 2017.

The event, which was hosted by BBC presenter Alexander Armstrong, celebrated the achievements of talented individuals and businesses in the world of engineering.

The award of Skills Innovation 2017 recognises KMF's highly successful Young Engineer of the Year competition (YEOTY), a project which aims to partner industry with education, in order to raise aspirations, capture the imagination of our young people and enhance career development.

Over the last five years, YEOTY has reached more than 17,000 students, worked with 27 high schools and, through KMF and over 50 local sponsors, invested around £550,000 in encouraging young people to take up a career in engineering and STEM projects.

Over 200 school-leavers, involved in YEOTY have secured placements with local employers and colleges and SEMTA commended KMF for producing a sustainable local talent pool of future apprentices, which the business community can benefit from.

SEMTA judges also applauded the inspirational impact that YEOTY has on previous participants, with teachers' feedback stating that the project improves focus, raises aspiration and in some cases, has significantly improved student grades while it is dispelling the negative perception parents may have of the industry.

Ann Watson, CEO of Semta, the not-for-profit organisation responsible for engineering skills for the future of the UK said: "KMF is a very deserving winner of the Semta Skills Award. I have seen at first-hand what a brilliant project the Young Engineer of the Year is, inspiring the next generation to gain practical experience and discover how exciting a career in engineering can be."

Runners-up were: Activate Business School & BMW Group and Jaguar Land Rover & University of Bradford.

In addition to attending the event, KMF produced extraordinary dragonfly centrepieces for the memorable occasion. The display was designed by Suhail Shaikh, an artist assisting KMF with their current Spitfire project. The design draws inspiration from the Dragonfly, darting about with great skill and precision, represented in the fine cut-outs of the design. The large dragonfly at the top rear represents the leadership that backs and oversees the other dragonflies who fly together as a team, in the same direction, upwards.

To find out more about the projects undertaken by students during the Young Engineer of the Year competition, visit our YEOTY pages.

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