ENGINEERING students from Teesside are set to hone their skills in the USA.

Six engineering apprentices from Redcar and Cleveland College will fly out to Tennessee in February to spend a week experiencing American college life.

The group will spend some of their time studying at the Cleveland State Community College where they will get hands on experience using state of the art equipment and learning about the latest methods and research in the fields of robotics and automation.

Daniel Thompson, 20, who is a mechanical engineering apprentice at Lotte Chemical UK Ltd, said: “The trip will be the chance of a lifetime for me. It's a great opportunity to widen my horizons and further develop my skills and knowledge, which will help with my future career.”

The trip has been organised by the college’s engineering tutor, Neil Walker, who has been taking students to the USA since 1999. Every year, students stay with host families and attend the American college for five days.

Mr Walker said: "Cleveland State Community College has a fantastic robotics workshop, so it's a great chance for some of our engineering students to gain new skills and experience to enhance their studies. They will all study intensively for five days before being assessed. It will be an amazing learning experience and something they will never forget.”