Bristol-based engineering student, Lizzie Garside, has been named as one of two winners of the South West Region’s Contribution to the Business Awards.

The award scheme is operated by The Engineering Development Trust (EDT) and is open to students participating in the Year in Industry (YINI) scheme. YINI matches talented gap year and undergraduate students with businesses for paid work placements before or during their degree course. Lizzie and fellow South West regional winner, Victoria Challes, will now progress to the national finals of the awards, to be held in London in September.

Lizzie, aged 19, was one of six finalists, who delivered presentations to a panel of judges at the National Composites Centre in Bristol. Each candidate showcased their achievements, highlighting the contribution to the company for whom they had been working. The judging panel acknowledged the significant impact made by Lizzie during her YINI placement with Bristol based refrigeration and testing house, ECH Engineering. She joined the company to gain practical, hands-on engineering experience prior to studying for a degree in Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor of Engineering with Honours) at the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.

During her placement with ECH Engineering, Lizzie has made a tangible contribution to the company’s procedures, processes and business, including the specification of new data logging software, the development of 3D printing technology and embedding knowledge amongst colleagues, relating to refrigeration testing and standards. She has influenced commercial projects with her significant involvement in the design and installation of a test facility for refrigeration innovator, Adande, enabling ECH Engineering to deliver this make-or-break project. In addition, she enabled diversification, applying the company skill sets to new projects in new industries and is working on the development of a passenger monitoring system for Reading Buses, where she so impressed the chief engineer that she became a mentor for the client’s apprentice programme.

In addition to the Contribution to the Business Award, the panel of judges also presented Lizzie with the Bandvulc Environmental Award, in recognition of the energy saving aspects of her work.

Managing director of ECH Engineering, Dr Ed Hammond, said: “Lizzie has been a model employee and has made a major contribution to ECH Engineering and a number of our commercial projects. We wish her well for her studies in New Zealand and we are confident that she will go on to make a significant impact in the engineering sector.”

He added: “As a company we are committed to the YINI initiative, promoting engineering, and specifically the cooling industry, as a career for young people. Undergraduate summer placements and YINI appointments offer tremendous opportunities for students to bridge the gap between school and university, preparing them for their roles in industry. With the support of companies throughout our industry, young engineers will be able to hone their skill sets and address the environmental and product development challenges, which face us all.”

Pictured above right: Steve Lafferty, MD of ALS Technologies and Chair of the judging panel, presenting the award to Lizzie Garside