University celebrates engineering innovation | The University of Sunderland

Published on 18, July, 2025

Group of people standing — The University of Sunderland's 2025 Engineering Practice Degree Apprenticeship Final Year Project Showcase

The University of Sunderland has been celebrating the innovation, dedication and excellence of a group of outstanding students at the 2025 Engineering Practice Degree Apprenticeship Final Year Project Showcase.

This annual event shines a spotlight on the outstanding work of the University's final-year apprentices as they present their industry-focused projects to fellow apprentices, mentors, academics, and employers from across the engineering sector.

The showcase was hosted in the University’s David Goldman Building, St Peter’s Campus, which was transformed into a vibrant exhibition space. Project presentation stations filled the venue, giving apprentices a platform to share their work — from planning and development through to implementation.

The event was attended by representatives from several organisations with strong, ongoing partnerships with the University, including Nissan, Advanced Electronics, Balfour Beatty, ZF, Marelli, Komatsu, William Hackett, and Caterpillar Ltd. These employers had the opportunity to engage directly with apprentices, offering valuable feedback and insight while recognising the clear impact the apprentices are already making in the field.

Many attendees praised the impressive level of innovation, technical ability, and real-world application demonstrated in each project. It was a proud moment for both apprentices and the University - reaffirming the value of degree apprenticeships in building the future of the engineering workforce.

Guests were welcomed by Simin Baloochzadeh, Programme Leader for the Engineering Practice Apprenticeship, alongside Dr Derek Dixon, Interim Head of the School of Computer Science and Engineering.

Dr Dixon said: "Each individual project solves an engineering problem and this is carried out in the workplace. This way, the employer immediately benefits from our apprentices' work. As well as demonstrating that our degree apprenticeship programme improves the skills of the apprentice, it also shows the genuine financial, social and environmental impact our engineers can have in the workplace.

"Academic colleagues, mentors and industry partners are consistently impressed with the quality of work – a day for everyone to feel proud."

To find out more about the University of Sunderland’s Engineering Practice Apprenticeship, click here.