Challenge opens to engineering and furniture-making students

<h4>The Challenge is on &&num;8211&semi; a national competition to unearth the country&&num;8217&semi;s most promising young engineers and furniture makers&period;<&sol;h4>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">The inter-school competition&comma; The Toolbox Challenge&comma; was created by industry training organisation Competenz and is open to all schools that offer engineering or furniture subjects in years 11 to 13&period; This year&comma; students can use an app to register&comma; track and update their entries&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">&OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;The Challenge is a way to build excitement around trade-based subjects and complements the national curriculum&comma;&&num;8221&semi; says Competenz spokesman Rachel Hopkins&period; &&num;8220&semi;The inaugural competition last year resulted in some extremely complex and interesting projects being entered&period; It’s a fun way for students to work towards unit standards while gaining exposure to an industry-based challenge&period;”<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">The engineering section of the competition tasks students to create a project using any type of material but must include a moving part&period; The furniture challenge requires students to design and build a piece of furniture that doesn’t exceed one cubic metre and is made from two types of material&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">In 2016&comma; the winning engineering entry was designed by Rangitoto College student James Thompson&comma; whose model traction engine <em>&lpar;pictured above&rpar;<&sol;em> caught the eye of judges&period; The engine components were created using CAD&comma; a milling machine&comma; jig&comma; welder and a 3D printer&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"article-left-box-wrapper" style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Finalist entries will be judged against other schools by industry professionals and representatives from Competenz and also a public vote&period; Judging criteria includes working drawings&comma; machining and assembly skills&comma; the degree of difficulty or complexity and whether the project meets the Challenge’s specifications&period;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"article-left-box-wrapper" style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;"> <&sol;div>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"article-left-box-wrapper" style&equals;"text-align&colon; justify&semi;">Students are invited to register online before Wednesday 12 April at<a href&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;toolboxchallenge&period;co&period;nz&sol;register&sol;" target&equals;"&lowbar;blank">http&colon;&sol;&sol;toolboxchallenge&period;co&period;nz&sol;register&sol;<&sol;a><&sol;div>&NewLine;