Leicester-based Camloc Motion Control (www.camloc.com), which manufactures gas springs and dampers, has been nurturing future talent, thanks to a partnership with Leicester College.

The company offered hands-on experience to young people taking part in the ‘Industrial Cadets’ programme set up by the (Prince’s Trust’s) Engineering Education Trust.

This enables students nation-wide to benefit from work experience involving the skill areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

The aim is to equip “all Prince’s Trust young people with the STEM skills needed for employment”.

A group of 35 engineering students worked with Camloc for a week, learning from directors Andy Hubbard and Matt Warne about the company’s specialist products and how they are manufactured.

The students were required to complete a 30hr project as part of the programme, spending the first and last day of the week on-site at Camloc.

Mr Hubbard said: “The students were given the brief of designing either a new blast mitigation severity indicator or a quick release end-fitting for a gas spring.”

The students then pitched their product designs to a panel that included Camloc directors and teachers from Leicester College. The winning group was then asked to work up its brief further.

Mr Hubbard added: “They took everything on board that we and the college taught them across the week, and the standard of the ideas and presentations at the end was exemplary.

“We are looking forward to inviting the winning teams to Camloc to further develop their ideas alongside our engineers.”