Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing Task Group

The Engineering Task Group includes representatives from local employers. These include:

  • Akro Valve Ltd
  • Kurt J Lesker
  • Marshall Tufflex
  • General Dynamics

The task group includes representatives from education and training. These include:

  • East Sussex College Group (ESCG)
  • Bexhill College
  • Culture Shift CIC
  • University of Brighton.

Task Group Chair

Dan Wahnon of Marshall Tufflex took on the role of chair in late 2022. Dan graduated in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Hertfordshire. He then went on to work for Rolls Royce, as a development engineer on the Trent 1000 engine, before moving to Hastings in 2009 to pursue a career in precision engineering.

Dan is an advocate for apprenticeships; he has a real passion for lifelong learning - seeing every day as a new learning opportunity. He has recently graduated from the University of Chichester’s MBA degree apprenticeship himself.  

He has come to the role with enthusiasm; keen to promote the exciting opportunities within the engineering sector and encourage engagement between education and industry in East Sussex.

In his free time, he plays lead guitar in a local band, enjoys watching Formula 1 and extreme sports such as mountain biking.

Task group update Autumn/Winter 2023

  • Development of new CNC (Computer Numerical Controlled) course with East Sussex College, Hastings. The course will be rolled out in April 2024, with a module already embedded into the T Level course. The CNC machinist role is one of the job videos on theEngineering & Advanced Manufacturing pages of the Careers East Sussex website. 
  • Supporting initial scoping of 2024 AI Skills Summit.
  • Promoted the primary school careers project to the membership.

Priorities for 2023-24 for the Task Group are

  • Support and oversight for the delivery of pilot Engineering After School Club project (subject to funding)
  • Improving perceptions of the sector
  • Acting as a platform for keynote speakers to address the employer network.
  • Consider new sector-specific training and development opportunities for upskilling/career changers.
  • Increased Task Group engagement with employers.

Engineering Task Group meetings

Please find below the minutes of recent task group meetings.

Contact Skills East Sussex  if you are a sector employer, training or education provider and want details. Other than your time, and occasional travel, there are no costs to joining Skills East Sussex meetings.  

If you wish to see minutes of a meeting not listed, please email Skills East Sussex and we will do our best to help.

Task group activity in recent years

Task group members engaged on the following activities to improve awareness of engineering:

  • Developed and submitted a bid to the Royal Engineers Ingenious Awards programme for a pilot Engineering After School Club in Hastings.
  • Supported development and delivery of Engineering and Construction Tutor Encounters Day, a CPD knowledge and upskilling event for tutors on a specific sector. It is an opportunity to hear from employers, make connections, and inspire their students ton consider a career in the sectors.
  • STEM Sussex applied to the Royal Academy of Engineers Ingenious Awards Programme on behalf of the Engineering Task Group. The proposal was to engage the public with engineers and engineering. It also provided engineers with the skills and opportunities to take part in public engagement.
  • Culture Shift led a project called ‘Your Town’. The project was funded through the Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious Fund. This allowed young people aged 11 to 18 in Hastings, Eastbourne and Newhaven to meet with engineers and find out more about what they do.