30 April 2009
HND Electrical and Electronic Engineering students Scott McQuistan and Jonathan McEwan entered the World Skills UK Mechatronics competition in April 2009. This competition was designed for two individual competitors to work as a team to test their logic, design and fault finding skills in a challenging environment. The South Eastern Regional College team was up against students from right across the UK. Competitors were expected to apply their theoretical knowledge of fundamental principles, automation, pneumatic, electrical/electronic and PLC technologies to create and program an electro-magnetic system. Details of the competition elements were provided on the day so the team had to use rely on their own skills and knowledge to develop the system. Unfortunately, the team did not win but plans are already in place to enter a number of teams from South Eastern Regional College into this year’s World Skills UK competition. South Eastern Regional College’s engineering department works hard to develop the technical skills that students require as well as providing opportunities for them to develop practical application of these skills by entering them into internal and external competitions. Philip Ellis, HND tutor and co-ordinator said, “We are very proud of our students, their creativity and enterprising outlook enables them to apply their technical skills in an innovative way to develop new electronics products. We believe that competitions like World Skills UK help students to improve their presentation, communication and team working skills: all essentials in this competitive market”.