Young CMB Engineers Selected for “Skills Olympics”

Like many manufacturing companies, Crown and our equipment and tooling division CMB Engineering (CMB), are passionate about investing in young talent to build the skilled workforce of tomorrow. We actively encourage development through spirited and friendly competition, and to that end, the latest wave of young engineers at CMB have excelled once more at the U.K. Skills competition – earning a place on the U.K. team at the larger Worldskills event in Kazan, Russia, later this year.

Known as the “Skills Olympics,” the WorldSkills competition sees the world’s best apprentices and students battle it out to win Gold, Silver, and Bronze in their chosen area of expertise. Isaac Khan, James Thomason and Andrew Joyce are the fourth team of CMB apprentices to be selected for Team U.K., which is testament to the high levels of engineering skills taught at our Shipley facility and our dedication to our apprenticeship program.

The CMB team won Gold at the initial qualifying competition in Birmingham, U.K. where they were tasked with developing a caravan that could house one person and be towed on the back of a bicycle. The apprentices spent the last 18 months developing an electric wheelchair in a bid to be selected for the world stage. 

There will be 32 young trainees representing the U.K. in total, from industries as diverse as engineering, construction, creative arts, and logistics. More than 1,600 apprentices and students from around 60 countries will be vying for gold at the 45th edition of this prestigious biannual event. We wish Isaac, James, and Andrew the very best of luck!