Mon, 21 September, 2026
TWI is celebrating the success of Arkwright Scholar Kai Egan, who has completed a two-year engineering outreach programme which was supported through mentoring, project experience and sponsorship.
During the programme, Kai gained a practical insight into engineering careers, strengthened his technical knowledge, and experienced how research and innovation are applied in real-world settings.
Kai Egan (right) with TWI mentor Matthew Haslett
Hands-on project experience
All of TWI’s Arkwright scholars are invited to complete a summer project for a week each year of their programme.
As part of his placement with TWI, Kai completed hands-on project work that introduced him to applied engineering challenges, materials testing and safety-critical assessment.
Kai’s first project week (in 2025) explored the engineering critical assessment of a gas storage container with a flaw, giving him the opportunity to consider how engineering principles are applied to safety, reliability and structural integrity.
During his second project week, which took place this summer, Kai focused on the additive manufacturing of hypoeutectoid ER70S-6 steel.
Alongside this practical project experience, these placement weeks also helped Kai develop transferable engineering skills, including technical report writing, data analysis, software use and presentation skills.
Mentoring
Throughout the programme, Kai had a dedicated mentor, Matt Haslett, who organised the project weeks and supported him during the programme as he developed his interest in engineering and prepared for the next stage of his education.
Kai also had the opportunity to learn from and work with a number of TWI employees during his project weeks.
The Future
Following completion of his A levels this summer, Kai secured a place at the University of Sheffield, where he will study Mechanical Engineering from this September.
We wish Kai every success with his degree and we look forward to keeping in touch with him as he continues his engineering journey.
A huge thank you to all of our employees involved in supporting Kai throughout the past two years.