Apprentices ready to meet challenges for international skills contest

TWO students from Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) are preparing for the opportunity to represent the UK at an international skills competition.

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Emily Bettridge and Liz Hopkinson, mechatronics maintenance technician apprentices at Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd, are currently training in the WorldSkills Squad UK.

They impressed judges at the national finals in November, winning gold medals in the mechatronics category, and will now go on to represent the country at the international finals in Shanghai in 2026.

Their success secured them places in Squad UK, where they are now undergoing intensive training to compete on the global stage.

Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary field of engineering that integrates mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer technology and control engineering to design, build and maintain intelligent products and systems.