16th April 2026
Cumbrian-based organisations, the Industrial Solutions Hub (iSH) and the Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Collaboration (RAICo) are together running their annual Robotics School Sprint challenge, which is launching this week.
Teams from West Coast Sixth Form Centre, Energy Coast UTC, and Lakes College West Cumbria will spend the next five weeks designing, building and programming small robots capable of tackling a mock version of a real-world nuclear challenge, safely moving high-hazard waste into a designated storage area. Each school will be supported by industry professionals volunteering their time and expertise.
Students studying A Levels and T Levels across a wide range of subjects will take part in weekly sprint sessions. These hands-on workshops provide practical experience in robotics, programming, and engineering, with direct support from professionals working in the nuclear sector, complementing their studies. They will then have to demonstrate their solution in front of experienced robotics engineers at RAICo1 in Whitehaven – the first in a series of robotics and AI collaboration facilities planned across the UK.
Now in its third year, the challenge is designed to give students meaningful, real-world experience by applying their learning to industry-inspired problems. It also provides a valuable opportunity to engage directly with professionals in robotics, AI, and nuclear engineering, offering insight into career pathways as well as developing their soft skills – including teamwork, presentation, and engaging with senior professionals.
The initiative has been so successful that it has been officially recognised by Skills Builder Partnership as achieving Impact Level 4, the highest possible accreditation. This recognition highlights the programme’s exceptional quality in developing essential skills, demonstrating measurable impact, and embedding best practice in education and industry engagement.
Hannah Pears, Skills Lead at iSH, said: “This programme is about making careers in robotics and AI feel accessible and achievable. Students gain first-hand experience of what working on a real challenge looks like and develop valuable, practical skills. Just as importantly, they meet people already working in these fields locally, which helps bring those career paths to life and makes them feel within reach. This is how we are building the next generation of talent and strengthening the future pipeline into higher technical education and careers, supporting the workforce needs for local companies across the Cumbria Robotics Cluster.”
Hollie Johnston, Project Manager at RAICo, said: “Nuclear remains an important employer in Cumbria, with a wide range of exciting careers that use cutting edge technology. Robotics and AI are playing a bigger role every year, from cleaning up nuclear sites to shaping the future of fusion energy. Projects like this help young people explore these careers early on, build confidence in STEM skills, and see how they could be part of the region’s future workforce.”
iSH and RAICo welcome interest from partners who would like to support future school sprint programmes.