Renishaw apprentices win prestigious industrial robotics contest

December 2024

Two Renishaw apprentices have been recognised as the brightest young talents in industrial robotics, winning the prestigious WorldSkills UK competition. Morgan Leyshon and Aled Gore, both 21 and from Bridgend, Wales, secured the gold medal in Industrial Robotics, beating over 80 contenders in an eight-month-long contest. The winners will now represent Team UK at the WorldSkills International Industrial Robotics competition in Shanghai, China in 2026.

Organised by industrial robotics specialists FANUC UK, the WorldSkills UK competition is one of the most widely respected national robotics contests. The finalists had to design an integrated cell robot system to load and stack totes on a pallet ready for shipment. The totes had to be loaded with specific numbers of packages of different sizes. The project was more complex than in previous years, involving three stages – setting up the robot and cell, completing the basic task and attempting an extension task if time allowed. The decision to assign contenders more advanced tasks was in response to an increase in the number of applicants and overall ability.

“Morgan and Aled's success underscores their advanced technical skills and the immense dedication and effort they have invested over the past year, setting an example for other aspiring engineers,” commented Simon Biggs, Early Careers Manager at Renishaw. “These apprentices are a great example of Renishaw's commitment to fuelling innovation by attracting and nurturing young engineering talent. The pair demonstrated outstanding proficiency in programming robots to perform complex tasks, including creating a digital twin, showcasing their expertise in robotics and automation.”

Apprenticeships are core to Renishaw's early careers programme. This year, the company welcomed 63 new apprentices alongside 100 graduates and 57 industrial placement students. Renishaw encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds with different skills and experience, with roles available in Gloucestershire and South Wales. Early-careers employees gain invaluable insight from industry-leading specialists, whilst working on real-life projects and products.

Both Aled and Morgan are mechanical engineering students at Bridgend College and are currently undertaking their apprenticeships at Renishaw's manufacturing facility in Miskin, South Wales. They hope to pursue engineering careers at Renishaw after completing their programmes.

Aled commented: “I am proud to represent Renishaw at this world-leading competition. It's great to work for a company that encourages young talent to go the extra mile and put their skills and creativity to the test.”
Morgan added: “My ambition is to get into programming in the future and this early-career experience has been a unique opportunity for me to prove my skills and determination.”

For further information on early careers at Renishaw please visit Early Careers.

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