Teenage inventor continues his winning streak
Since winning last year's Young Craftsman of the Year Competition, teenage inventor Yale-Brewer has enjoyed growing success.
Eastbourne College student, Yale, scooped overall first prize in the prestigious competition which is organised by the South of England Agricultural Society and is now in its 21st year.
Yale's innovative fence post extractor wowed judges and members of the public alike when it was displayed at the South of England Show last June. Yale came up with the idea for the machine after helping out on a friend's farm and encountering the difficulties of removing old fence posts. Many farmers visiting the show commented on how much they would like to own one of Yale's machines and he has used his prize money for development. Yale's is just one of many success stories to come out of this unique competition which has acted as a spring board for young craftsmen's careers since 1986.
Yale, 18, said: "Since winning the Competition my project has been shown in a number of publications, namely Country life, the Forge and Farmers Guardian.
The prize money has enabled me to start work on developing the product in order to make it more user-friendly. Once the second model is complete I intend to approach a number of manufacturers in the UK. I hope it will be on the market in the near future - it would be nice to think that it would pay me through university."
Spurred on by his win, Yale went on to enter the Technology Design and Innovation challenge and the Young Engineer for Great Britain competition.
Yale said: "I came second overall at the TDI challenge and won the Regional Young Engineers competition. I then came second overall at the finals for the Young Engineer for Great Britain. I really have been astounded by my success."
This summer Yale hopes to participate in a Nuffield Science Bursary on a three or four week project placement at an agricultural machinery manufacturers. He then plans to go to university to study Mechanical Engineering.
He said: "My aim is to become a Chartered Engineer working for one of the major Agricultural or Industrial manufacturers in the development of new products. The Young Craftsman Competition has given me both the financial aid and the boost of confidence I needed to seek out this career."
The Young Craftsman of the Year competition is open to those aged 14 to 21 with categories for ceramics, metalwork, textiles, design and technology and wood. It attracts entries from schools and colleges across West and East Sussex, Kent, Berkshire and Hampshire. Total prize money is more than £4,500 with a first prize of £1000. The winning entries will be displayed at the South of England Show, Ardingly, on June 7, 8 and 9 of June.
