Inspiring the next generation with EDT Industrial Cadets

Since 2011, the EDT Industrial Cadets scheme has offered students the chance to experience the world of work by participating in a STEM-related project from start to finish, helping them develop the vital skills increasingly sought after across the UK. Last year, the educational charity celebrated achieving 250,000 Industrial Cadets experiences, driven by an admirable ambition to inspire one million young people to embrace jobs in industry by 2035.  

For more than 10 years, Dennis Eagle has supported the EDT initiative and this month officially kicked off our most recent involvement in the Industrial Cadets Gold programme. One of 80 teams in the UK taking part in the scheme, this year we are working with a group of Year 12 students from Sydney Stringer Academy in Coventry. This group consists of one male and six female students currently studying for their A-levels with a keen focus on STEM-related subjects.  

How does Dennis Eagle contribute to the scheme? 

Led this year by Quality Control Technician, Henry Revitt, and Mechanical Engineer, Callum Field, our involvement began with a visit to the Academy in order to present a series of several challenges within our business that need to be resolved. These challenges vary, from requiring a bespoke trolley for a 3D scanner to enhancing the thermal insulation available within our cabs, and give students the opportunity to think creatively and innovatively about a potential solution. Once the students have selected their preferred challenge, this will set into motion a 6-month long project that will test their knowledge, ingenuity, and STEM skills. 

The project will see the team divide their time between our Warwick facility and their school. They will also be hosted at a local university for a workshop day in February, providing them with the resources necessary to develop a physical prototype of their creation. Following this, their submission of work will conclude in late March, with the deadline for project completion set for the end of April. The students will then undergo a final assessment in May where their work is evaluated by a panel of judges, all topped off by a celebratory awards ceremony. 

During the project, Henry and Callum will act as mentors for the group, demonstrating how STEM skills can be applied in the real world and offering a unique glimpse into potential future careers. “Taking part in the Industrial Cadets scheme not only offers local schools an important insight into how STEM skills are used within industry, but also provides us with an essential platform to really give back to the community,” said Henry, who started life in the business as an apprentice. “It’s no secret that there’s a significant skills shortage across the UK for STEM-related disciplines, so the opportunity to inspire the next generation of talent by getting them excited about STEM subjects is critical. We see our involvement in the EDT programme as an instrumental investment in the future of our industry.” 

A history of successful STEM outreach 

Previously overseen by a team of mentors made up of Tim Pritchard, Richard Thom, Peter Markham, and Matthew Hayes, 2025’s project saw students at Bablake School design a hydraulic cylinder lifting aid, which greatly improved the existing process and provided long-term operational benefits such as cost and time savings. In 2024, the same school won the scheme’s Project of the Year Award under Dennis Eagle’s tutelage. While Dennis Eagle has historically worked with private schools for the initiative, this year the decision was made to instead prioritise a state school, giving greater exposure to STEM-related skillsets and extending the ability to manage an engineering project to the wider community.  

In former years, involvement in the EDT Industrial Cadets scheme has even resulted in our business gaining valuable team members, with Sales Support Engineer, Tess Jones, having participated. Tess later joined the Dennis Eagle team as an apprentice, later winning Advanced Apprentice Graduate of the Year at the 2023 Midland Group Training Services (MGTS) Awards.  

“It was great to be a part of the Engineering Education Scheme, as it was then known, because it gave students the rare chance to see a project through from the initial challenge we were trying to solve to building a physical, working solution to that problem,” said Tess. “Doing this made me realise I wanted to go down the route of pursuing a hands-on role, which I hadn’t previously, so it opened my eyes to a potential future career path. Having finished the scheme, I learned Dennis Eagle had an apprenticeship programme, so I applied for one as soon as I finished school. As I look back on my time here, I’d encourage anyone considering a scheme like this to take the opportunity to throw yourself in the deep end. It worked out for me, I love what I do.”  

We look forward to another successful year supporting the Industrial Cadets Gold Award and are excited to see which challenge our cohort chooses.