A GAP year work placement student has snapped up the National IET Innovation Award at the challenging “Year in Industry” Awards 2014.

Ben Weeks spent his year before going on to Exeter University at defence industry contractor Chemring Countermeasures in Great Durnford, where he applied innovative 3D printing techniques to overcome a technical challenge with ageing metal funnels which were used in some company processes.

Ben, from Reading, won the Innovation Award, sponsored by the IET, at a tense finals event in London where he and eight other regional winners presented their projects to a panel of expert judges.