Next Gen Makers News
How Merlin Entertainments Redesigned Its Engineering Apprenticeship to Attract Diverse Talent (Without Lowering Standards)
For many years, the primary challenge cited by UK engineering and manufacturing firms has remained consistent: a lack of diversity within the talent pipeline. While the ambition to create a more...
What Diverse Apprentices Actually Look for in an Engineering Employer
Most discussions about how to attract diverse engineering apprentices feature plenty of employers - and few apprentices. That’s a problem. Because the people best placed to tell engineering...
Why Your Engineering Apprenticeship Pipeline Might Have a Retention Problem (Not Just a Recruitment One)
The UK engineering and manufacturing sector is currently navigating a period of profound transition. While the demand for technical innovation has never been higher, the talent pool remains...
Apprenticeship Units now live for staff upskilling
Apprenticeship Units, short flexible training courses designed to upskill your existing staff in critical skill shortage areas, are now live. Keen to know more? Here is what you need to know... As...
First in the UK: West Midlands Railway Achieves Gold ‘Excellent Employer’ Status
In a landmark achievement for the UK transport sector, West Midlands Railway (WMR) has officially become the first train operator in the country to be awarded Gold ‘Excellent Employer’ status for...
Beyond the Shop Floor: Why CSR is the Secret to Engineering Apprentice Success (Lessons from adi Group)
In the current landscape of UK manufacturing, the competition for emerging talent has never been more intense. As the sector grapples with a persistent skills gap, the industry's leaders are no...
Lessons from British Engines: How to Attract 490 Applicants for Your Engineering Apprenticeship
In the current climate of the UK engineering sector, the "skills gap" is a phrase often cited as the primary barrier to growth. However, recent news from the North East offers a powerful...
The 5% Rise in Engineering Apprenticeships: What It Means for Your Future Talent Pipeline
The UK manufacturing workforce is entering another important period of transition. Looking ahead to the 2026/27 financial year, the latest data on engineering apprenticeships presents a mixed but...
Major employment drive signals stronger support for jobs and apprenticeships
A major new government employment package has signalled renewed national backing for young people entering work, with plans to unlock 200,000 new jobs and apprenticeships and introduce the biggest...
Addressing the Skills Challenge and Industry Opportunity at Leeds Manufacturing Festival
Next Gen Makers joined industry leaders, educators and students at the 2026 Leeds Manufacturing Festivallaunch this week, reinforcing the importance of collaboration in addressing the UK’s...
Alucast Invests in Future Growth with New Industrial Estate Acquisition
A major investment by Alucast, a member of Next Gen Makers, highlights the continued confidence of UK manufacturers and the importance of long-term investment in skills, capability and...
Apprenticeships Back in Focus: National Coverage Highlights Skills Priority
Recent BBC coverage has placed apprenticeships firmly back in the national spotlight, highlighting government efforts to expand opportunities and strengthen technical pathways. The article reflects...
Engineering Apprenticeships as a Powerful Alternative Pathway: Spotlight on Renishaw
A recent feature during National Apprenticeship Week highlights engineering apprenticeships as a powerful and credible alternative to traditional academic routes, with Renishaw sharing insight into...
Skills England Apprenticeship Assessment Reforms: What Employers Need to Know
For engineering and manufacturing employers, the message is clear: quality, employer voice and occupational competence remain central - but the way assessments are structured and delivered is...
Expanding Skills, Investing in the Future Workforce: Why Employer Leadership Matters
A recent LinkedIn article from Brick Kiln titled “Expanding Skills, Investing in the Future Workforce” highlights the growing importance of employer engagement in shaping apprenticeship quality and...
Government Outlines Plans to Support 50,000 More Apprenticeships
The government has outlined plans to support up to 50,000 additional apprenticeships as part of its wider skills and growth agenda. The proposals focus on expanding access, streamlining elements of...
Next Gen Makers and Engineers Insight to bring real UK factories into classrooms
A collaboration between Next Gen Makers and Engineers Insight is set to showcase what working life is like in UK engineering & manufacturing and inspire the next generation across the country....
Molson Coors, FESTO, Ibstock & more latest to be recognised as ‘best employers in UK’ for engineering apprenticeships
Brewery Molson Coors, automation technology specialist FESTO GB and brick manufacturer Ibstock UK are among the latest employers to be recognised with the Next Gen Makers Engineering...
GBSIoT Celebrates Medal Success at WorldSkills UK National Finals
Learners representing the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Institute of Technology (GBSIoT) have once again demonstrated the strength of the region’s technical talent, bringing home two medals from...
UK’s biggest rail operator launches 2026 apprentice recruitment drive
Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is calling on budding engineers to apply for its 2026 intake of apprentice engineers, as vacancies are now live to join the UK’s largest rail operator. Aspiring...
Ten young engineers to join Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy in 2025
Ten exceptional young engineers will join Atlassian Williams Racing and Komatsu’s global engineering initiative as the 'class of 2025' in the Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy – the global...
12 engineers complete apprenticeships at Finning UK
Twelve engineers have completed their apprenticeships at Finning UK & Ireland, taken their next steps on the career ladder with the company. The group has spent four years with Finning, the...
Sheffield Forgemasters launches state-of-the-art 6,700 sq ft training facility
Sheffield Forgemasters has formally opened a 6,700 sq ft training and development facility to upskill its apprentices for the next generation of nuclear-grade engineering. The facility was formally...
3 steps to boost your early careers talent pipeline
Ask most local school, college or university students to name an engineering or manufacturing business they know and would like to work for, and what do you think they would say? Would they name...
Niftylift apprentices win the IMechE Apprentice Automation Challenge 2025
Niftylift’s apprentice team, Elevation Nation, have won the 2025 IMechE Apprentice Automation Challenge, their second consecutive win at this prestigious event. The finals of this years competition...
BMet and Next Gen Makers partner to support engineering employers
Birmingham based college BMet, a leading provider of engineering & manufacturing apprenticeships, has partnered with Next Gen Makers in a move that will support engineering employers to bridge...
New Engineering centre for Nottingham College
Nottingham College is launching a new Engineering and Electrical Centre at its Ruddington campus. The centre, which cost more than £1m, is designed to train a new generation of electricians and...
Sheffield Forgemasters signs training deal with AMRC Training Centre
Sheffield Forgemasters has agreed a four-year engineering training contract with the University of Sheffield AMRC Training Centre. The package will support the professional and personal development...
Eplan announced as Event Partner for Engineering Skills Conference 2025
Eplan, providers of ECAD software and service solutions in the fields of electrical, automation and mechatronic engineering, has been announced as the official Event Partner for the Next Gen Makers...
National Engineering Skills Conference returns October 2025
Next Gen Makers has announced the return of its' annual national Engineering Skills Conference, to be held on 30th October 2024 in Coventry. The national event returns for a second year, following a...