Shrewsbury College student designs trophies for county business awards

The Chamber invited design and manufacturing students from the college to pitch their designs for the local business community’s big celebration – and the winning concepts were created by Jacob Moore.

The 17-year-old from Ellesmere said he was incredibly proud to have been able to design an award that recognises ‘significant achievements within businesses’.

“I have always enjoyed sketching from a young age, which developed into a strong interest in design during my GCSEs. This inspired me to continue my studies through the design and manufacturing T-Level at Shrewsbury College, which I feel is a great fit for me.”

He explained: “I created the award by analysing past examples and existing trophies as benchmark references, before brainstorming initial ideas. I then refined these into two final concepts, producing both sketches and virtual models.

“I have since made several design iterations, such as pairing sponsors with the correct business for each award and exporting the designs as DXF files.

“The teaching staff have been extremely supportive in guiding me throughout each stage. I have also been involved in the manufacturing process, including CNC machining of the components.”

Kelly Riedel, head of member success at the Chamber, said: “We were so impressed by the designs which the students created, and it was a very tough task to choose a winner.

“If we want Shropshire’s economy to thrive in the decades ahead, we have to invest in the engineers of tomorrow. That means building genuine partnerships between employers and our local education providers.

“When businesses open their doors to students - through work experience, apprenticeships, mentoring or real-world projects like our trophy design brief - we’re inspiring young people, and strengthening our talent pipeline.”

Jacob is sadly unable to attend the awards ceremony at Telford International Centre on June 19 to see his trophies being presented, because he has secured a three-week industrial internship in Switzerland through the college.

He said: “I will be working on a project to design and manufacture a mobile phone charging station, while also gaining valuable insight into Swiss engineering practices.

“I am particularly looking forward to learning about their culture, experiencing a different approach to engineering, and developing my practical and professional skills in an international setting.”