Rising to the Challenge: North Notts College Students Win Construction Competition
Three teams from North Notts College competed in the Construction Lifting Equipment Challenge at Rethinking Futures last week, with T Level Engineering students taking first place.
Up against seven other groups of students aged 12–18, each team had to design, build, and test a prototype lifting device.
Hosted at Newark Showground, Rethinking Futures is part of PlantWorx, the UK’s largest working construction exhibition. Spanning a showground the size of ten Premier League football pitches, the event inspires young people towards construction, engineering, and mechanical careers. More than 300 exhibitors showcased the latest technology, including advanced machinery, sustainable solutions, simulators, and live demonstrations.
Prior to the competition, each team received a standard rotating base and essential materials, with the option to add 3D-printed or laser-cut components to enhance their machines.
Students then designed and tested prototypes, maintaining notebooks and running calculations while documenting their progress along the way.
On competition day, students assembled and tested their machines before presenting them to a panel of judges from leading construction and engineering companies. Teams competed to stack the objects and were scored on time, precision, and build quality.
Machines had to move nine objects, including wooden cubes, plastic cylinders, and tennis balls, onto a flatbed truck while following strict competition rules. Operators remained behind their machines at all times, relying solely on mechanical systems such as pulleys, strings, levers, timber, and elastic, with no electrical components allowed.
After careful consideration, the T Level in Engineering group emerged victorious, bringing home the trophy for North Notts College. Staff praised all students for their dedication and resilience, noting how the project mirrored real-world engineering challenges.
Find out more about Construction courses at North Notts College