Students from some of the UK’s top universities have submitted their entries for the inaugural Heatrae Sadia Design Awards.
Heatrae Sadia has challenged students to create a new problem-solving electric water heating product, with a top prize of £10,000 towards their tuition fees up for grabs.
The design awards competition has already received huge interest from product design and engineering students at Brunel University in London, Anglia Ruskin, Herriot-Watt and the University of Surrey.
Alongside the financial prize, the winner, plus four runners-up, will receive a 3D printed model of their design and a full tour of the Heatrae Sadia factory in Norwich, including product development presentations and a Q&A session.
The competition is open to all university students and new graduates in the UK*, with the finalists being announced in June and a winner selected in August.
It aims to give students the opportunity to find out what it is like to work in the heating and hot water industry, experiencing some of the challenges faced by those working at a real-world manufacturer which they can then relate to when applying for graduate employment.
This is important at a time when the jobs market is becoming more and more competitive. Government figures suggest there was a 2.2 per cent drop in the number of graduates aged 21-30 employed in skilled work last year, despite the average university leaver starting out in their working life with more debt than ever – approximately £44,000.
Successful students will have to navigate issues such as space considerations, increasing production costs and rising energy prices affecting the end consumer.
Submissions must include a design proposal for an innovative and efficient electric water heating product, supported by a research and development document and an advert to sell the product to the right market, as well as technical drawings showcasing the product’s features and benefits.
Richard Newman, senior product manager at Heatrae Sadia, said: “It’s vitally important for manufacturers to encourage and inspire the next generation – after all, the students entering this year’s Design Awards could be tomorrow’s product managers, designers or engineers.
“This year’s entrants will get a flavour of the challenges and the rewards that come from working at a market-leading manufacturer. The finalists and runners-up will also get the opportunity to quiz the team here at Heatrae Sadia and find out what it takes to forge a successful career within the industry.”
For a full brief and competition terms and conditions please visit www.heatraesadia.com/design-awards.htm
*Graduates within the last four years are eligible for entry
