As the UK celebrates National Engineering Day on November 5th, Velocity Composites plc shines a light on the importance of nurturing engineering talent for the future of advanced manufacturing.
The Burnley-headquartered company — a leading supplier of advanced composite material kits to the aerospace and high-performance manufacturing sectors — is taking a hands-on approach to workforce development through the T-Levels programme, a new initiative designed to bridge the gap between education and industry.
For Chief Operations Officer, Oliver Smalley, the day is a reminder of the responsibility businesses share in inspiring and equipping the next generation of engineers.
“Building high-performing teams is fundamental to our success,” says Smalley. “This year, we have been investing in T-Levels, which allows us to actively shape the skills of the future workforce, ensuring they are equipped with both the theoretical knowledge and practical experience required in our cutting-edge composite manufacturing facilities. This programme is a vital component of our strategy to empower individuals and enable teams to thrive, maintaining a clear focus on our overarching business goals.”
Organised by the Royal Academy of Engineering, National Engineering Day is part of the “This is Engineering” campaign, which aims to increase the visibility of engineers, celebrate their impact on society, and inspire a more diverse generation to join the profession. Activities across the UK showcase the contribution of engineers to everything from transport and energy to healthcare and digital technology.
For Velocity Composites, that contribution starts with developing the people who will deliver the next generation of engineering innovation. Through T-Levels — a two-year qualification equivalent to three A-levels — students gain hands-on industry experience in areas such as composites manufacturing, materials technology, and mechanical engineering.
“Drawing on my experience in scaling manufacturing operations and setting up new facilities, I see T-Levels as a direct way to build the skilled base needed for our continued expansion, particularly as we grow our international capability,” Smalley continues. “It’s about securing the talent pipeline that underpins our drive for operational efficiency and supports our strategic aim of delivering tangible benefits to our customers through unrivalled service delivery.”
Velocity Composites’ proactive embrace of the T-Levels initiative reflects a broader strategy to combine digital transformation, engineering excellence, and process optimisation across its UK and global operations.
As National Engineering Day celebrates the engineers shaping the modern world, Velocity Composites exemplifies how businesses can contribute — not just by innovating today, but by investing in the people who will engineer tomorrow.
