Terex has developed female tailored Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) with help from a student at Lisneal College.

The competition, that was hosted at Terex's Campsie site, gave local students the opportunity to design PPE specifically for Terex's female workers that prioritised safety, comfort and functionality whilst meeting a set budget.

Leona McGee, Senior HR Advisor at Terex Campsie said: "While we've been actively recruiting females to join our manufacturing workforce, they have often struggled with ill-fitting and uncomfortable workwear. Our Female Workwear Schools Competition provided an opportunity for students to showcase their creative talents while producing fit-for-purpose PPE for our female workers."

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The competition invited five local schools to take part, the schools were Thornhill, Lumen Christi, Limavady Grammar, Lisneal College, and Limavady High School.

In preparation for the competition, schools visited Terex Campsie for a factory tour to gain a deeper understanding of Terex as well as taking part in a focus group with female fitters.

After each group presented their designs and reasoning to Terex's judging panel a winner was chosen.

Sophie Magee from Lisneal College won the competition, she said "Seeing my design produced and worn is a surreal experience, seeing it there in real life is just amazing".

Michael Allen, Principal of Lisneal College, stated: "We are incredibly proud of Sophie. As a technology and design teacher myself, I know how big of a deal it is to get an idea from mind to paper and then into reality. I can’t thank Terex enough; they looked after Sophie so well and have given the school such a brilliant opportunity with this competition."

Speaking of what the competition offered, Leona McGee said: "Working with our local schools helps us break the gender stereotypes around careers in manufacturing. By educating students about our industry, we can empower young girls to feel more confident in pursuing a career in manufacturing. Congratulations to Sophie – we hope the experience has inspired her as much as it has inspired us."