Robotics apprentice at MTC is SEMTA Skills Awards nominee

Ms Kaur, who is 18, has already won the AMTC's apprentice of the month award twice. She is now rotating throughout departments at RNA to gain a first-hand experience and a deeper understanding of the business before starting work in the development of bespoke automation cells. She is a STEM ambassador, promoting careers in engineering for youngsters, particularly women, and is the first female engineer on the shopfloor at RNA. She began her apprenticeship in September 2018 and began employment at RNA last year.

Matt Bastock of the AMTC's apprenticeship programme said Ms Kaur’s dedication to her own development was exceptional. He said: "Davina wanted an apprenticeship that focussed on future skills through advanced manufacturing. To access this, for the first year of her training she made a 36-mile round trip from her home to the AMTC every day. She has consistently gained high marks for her assessed work and was the first from her cohort to complete her Year One portfolio. She was the only apprentice to be selected to receive additive manufacturing training in the MTC's National Centre for Additive Manufacturing, and has discovered a passion for robotics," he said.

He added, "Armed with her new skills she has given support to other learners in her training group, particularly for technical knowledge. She regularly promotes the benefits of taking on apprentices to employers at national events and still finds time for charitable fund-raising and working with the homeless."

The SEMTA Skills Awards will be presented in March. SEMTA – the Science, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies Alliance – is an employer-led organisation dedicated to improving the skills and productivity of people in the engineering and manufacturing sectors.

The MTC was founded by the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University, the University of Nottingham and TWI. The MTC’s industrial members include some of the UK’s major global manufacturers.

The centre aims to provide a competitive environment to bridge the gap between university-based R&D of innovative manufacturing solutions, in line with the Government’s manufacturing strategy. The MTC is part of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, supported by Innovate UK.

MTC www.the-mtc.org