AN ENGINEERING prodigy went up against some of the country’s finest young scientists in not one but two national competitions – and came home with an award.
Princethorpe College sixth-former Michael Gucluer wowed judges and came away with a Young Engineer for Britain National Award for Engineering Excellence at the Big Bang Fair at the Birmingham NEC.
As part of both competitions, the 17 year-old gave a five-minute pitch about his electronic control system and was grilled by a panel of judges made up of leading engineers, scientists and industry experts.
Michael, who is currently studying A-levels in Chemistry, Maths and Physics, described his product as “a multi-purpose, modular control system which can be re-programmed for industrial applications”.
He added: “I’m so pleased my product is getting national recognition. This award will be great for future development and will certainly stand out on my CV.
“I’m going to focus on my A-levels for now and when I have a bit more time, go back and look at sponsorship and investment opportunities for taking my product to the next level.
“You might see me on Dragons’ Den yet!”
He also plans to go to university to study either Engineering or Astro/Quantum Physics.
Paul Scopes, Head of Design Technology at the College, said: “Michael has worked exceptionally hard this year and it’s fantastic to see how well he has applied the support and knowledge he’s received as part of the Young Engineer for Britain Mentoring Programme and from staff at Princethorpe to developing his product. He thoroughly deserves this accolade.”
