First class of students chosen for Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy

Komatsu and Williams Racing are excited to reveal the 10 students that will make up the inaugural class of the Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy.

The Academy is a global initiative designed to discover and develop the next generation of engineering talent through unique learning opportunities the students will have access to with Komatsu and the Williams Racing Formula 1 team.

The journey for our 10 students began when they each made it through their regional and national qualification rounds to reach the F1 in Schools World Finals, held in Saudi Arabia earlier this week.

Before arriving in Dhahran, they had all applied for the Academy by submitting their CV alongside a video or essay. Next, they attended an assessment centre which included icebreakers, individual quizzes and a 45-minute team challenge.

From this, the maiden cohort of Komatsu-Williams Engineering Academy students were selected. Programming will kick off in January and be tailored to meet the needs of each student’s educational journey.

For James Vowles, Team Principal at Williams Racing, working with young talent as they work toward graduation and a future career puts him right back where he was 30 years ago, when he entered Formula 1 shortly after graduation.

“These exceptional young engineers can help lead our industries into the future, and I consider it my privilege to get to help support them at this critical stage in their educational journey,” Vowles said.

Todd Connolly, VP of Global Brand Transformation at Komatsu, added: “The talent on display this week in Saudi Arabia was incredible and we are so excited to start working with the selected students come January.”

“Supporting up-and-coming STEM talent is not only rewarding, but essential as we look to nurture future innovation and advance the fields of motorsport and heavy-equipment design.”