DS-AUG26-PG06+07_Layout 1 07/08/2026 10:06 Page 6


industry news


55thanniversary businesses need to play an active role in technical education


According to James Sopwith, group strategic account director at adi Group, too many young people have been encouraged to believe that university is the only respected route to a successful career. Technical education, apprenticeships and vocational qualifications have often been presented as alternatives for those who are supposedly ‘less academically able’. That perception, he continues, does a disservice


to young people and to industries such as engineering, advanced manufacturing and construction, which depend on highly skilled people to design, build and maintain the infrastructure on which our economy relies. Giving pupils access to technical education


and practical experience, and connecting them with employers from the age of 14, could help to change this. However, the success of these reforms will depend on what that experience looks like in practice. adi Group has been delivering technical


education to 14-16 year-olds since 2016 through its Pre-Apprentice Programme. Pupils attend adi’s headquarters for half a day a


enginuity and the cmb to strengthen sme manuFacturing sKills


week while doing their GCSEs. They work in a genuine engineering environment, learn from experienced professionals and complete an Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies qualification accredited by Excellence, Achievement and Learning, better known as EAL. Technical education cannot be designed


in isolation from the businesses that will ultimately employ these young people. Employers understand where skills gaps are emerging, how technology is changing individual roles and what knowledge, behaviours and practical abilities people need to build sustainable careers. However, businesses must also be prepared


to play an active role – including opening their facilities to students, supporting teachers, offering meaningful work experience, providing mentors, and helping to shape locally relevant qualifications. Engineering businesses continue to face


significant recruitment challenges, while ironically nearly one million young people are


currently not in education, employment or training. Bringing education and employment closer together can help address both problems. We know from experience that introducing


young people to technical careers at 14 can work. The opportunity now is to make that experience available to many more young people, regardless of their background, school or postcode.


https://adiltd.co.uk/


llanelec precision engineering acquires century-old Kigass aero components


Llanelec Precision Engineering has acquired Kigass Aero Components, in a deal being advised by Heligan Group. The acquisition marks a significant step for Llanelec, which is backed by Hanover Investors’ Active Equity Fund III, as it deepens the group’s aerospace capability alongside its established defence business, broadens its customer base, and brings together two complementary precision-machining teams with a shared commitment to quality and long-term customer partnership. Kigass, established in 1924, is one of Britain’s longest-established precision engineering


businesses, specialising in high-integrity machined components for aero-engines including fuel injectors, fuel burners, fuel manifolds and oil jets for civil and defence aerospace programmes, as well as precision components for world-leading motorsport applications. The Engineering firm will continue to be led by managing director Peter Platt following its sale


Enginuity has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Confederation of British Metalforming (CBM) to strengthen SME manufacturing skills, workforce development and employer engagement. Together, the organisations will collaborate


to better understand sector needs, develop workforce solutions and ensure skills provision and training offers are fit for purpose, aligned with employer requirements and responsive to the changing needs of engineering and manufacturing. Nicola Dolan, associate director at


Enginuity, said: “This collaborative approach represents an important step in bringing together two organisations with a shared ambition to strengthen UK manufacturing. “By working closely with CBM and its


members, we can better understand the real challenges facing employers and develop practical solutions that help businesses attract, develop and retain the skilled workforce they need for the future.”


www.thecbm.co.uk www.enginuity.org


to Llanelec, who will guide the business through its transition into the Llanelec Group and remain closely involved thereafter. Commenting on the deal, Spencer John, CEO of Llanelec, said: “Kigass impressed us from the


moment we met the team: the quality record, the capability, and above all the people. Businesses like this, with a hundred years of machining heritage, are rare. This acquisition is a major step in our goal to build a leading defence and aerospace engineering group, and we are delighted to welcome Peter and the whole Kigass team.”


https://llanelec.co.uk http://kigassaero.co.uk https://heligangroup.com


berex rF and microwave semiconductors now available From anglia components


Anglia Components has signed a pan-European franchise agreement with BeRex Corp., a leading Korean producer of analogue RF and microwave semiconductors. John Bowman, Anglia’s marketing director, said: “Anglia is rapidly


building a strong and wide portfolio of high quality, cost-effective analogue parts from suppliers based around the world. BeRex fits nicely


into this programme with devices for radar and wireless communications systems in industrial markets, as well as RFIC front-end modules for IoT devices based on popular protocols and standards.” Jae Won Kim, senior manager at BeRex, said: “We are excited to be represented in the UK and


EU countries by Anglia, which is renowned for technical support and customer service. Anglia has been trading for over 50 years so its market knowledge and understanding of what the customer needs is second to none.”


www.anglia-live.com 6 DesiGn sOLUtiOns 1971-2026 July/august 2026 www.designsolutionsmag.co.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68