Inspiring Engineers of the Future
Proof that engineering careers still appeal to UK youngsters!
Scarborough, October 25, 2013
Scarborough's annual Engineering Week event aimed at encouraging youngsters to consider careers in engineering has just held its most successful event - attracting over 2700 schoolchildren and young students.
30 organisations - most from the Yorkshire region - put on educational and fun displays about jobs in engineering today. Many exhibits were hands-on and interactive and ranged from touch-screen computer-aided design software, to remote operated vehicles for subsea oil and gas work, robot arms, and even an ingenious piece of food processing automation - a rustic potato washing machine developed for McCain Foods' oven chips TV commercial.
"Great Britain was built on the engineering revolution, and still today it's engineering prowess that is largely defining the growth and success of economies and nations," says Peter Wilkinson from the lead organiser Unison. "As a country, the UK urgently needs to invest in engineering, and attracting more youngsters to enter the profession is critical to that purpose. This event is about just that - we set out to show just how interesting and rewarding engineering is - and it's making a big difference in our region."
Over three days, more than 2700 schoolchildren and teachers - plus many more at evening public sessions - toured the exhibition. Among these was the guest of honour, HRH Prince Richard The Duke of Gloucester, representing his cousin Queen Elizabeth II. Prince Richard has a strong technical background, having trained as an architect and worked as a partner in a London practice before taking up Royal and family duties. The Duke identifed wholeheartedly with the ambitions of the event - to attract UK youngsters to become the engineers of tomorrow - and said he'd like to come back next year. As might be expected, he took particular interest in Atlas Ward Structures' exhibit - which demonstrated CAD software the Scarborough-based company uses to design steelwork for world-renowned projects such as The Shard and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
NYBEP organised the student attendance from regional primary, secondary, sixth form and further education schools and colleges in and around the area.
Schoolchildren were treated to an array of engineering products and technology, from AB Graphic International, Atlas Ward Structures, Bluebird Vehicles, Castle Employment, Castle Group, Deep Sea Electronics, Dale Power Solutions, Derwent Training Association, F1 in Schools, Fanuc, DSE, Festo, Firmac, Forum Subsea Technologies, Hunprenco, Joy Global, McCain Foods, Moog, North Sea Winches, NYBEP, Osprey, Plaxton, Sainsbury's, Schneider Electronic, Unison, University of Hull, University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), Wilfrid Scruton, Yorkshire Coast College, and York Potash.
DSE delivered a range of bespoke hands-on activities to the school children including a project where the children could make their own Motion Writer using basic components and circuitry to experience electronics at a basic level. Managing Director Mr David Thomson said, "We were delighted to see how enthusiastic the kids were at all levels of education. It is vital that we inspire the budding engineers of the future"
Scarborough, October 25, 2013
Scarborough's annual Engineering Week event aimed at encouraging youngsters to consider careers in engineering has just held its most successful event - attracting over 2700 schoolchildren and young students.
30 organisations - most from the Yorkshire region - put on educational and fun displays about jobs in engineering today. Many exhibits were hands-on and interactive and ranged from touch-screen computer-aided design software, to remote operated vehicles for subsea oil and gas work, robot arms, and even an ingenious piece of food processing automation - a rustic potato washing machine developed for McCain Foods' oven chips TV commercial.
"Great Britain was built on the engineering revolution, and still today it's engineering prowess that is largely defining the growth and success of economies and nations," says Peter Wilkinson from the lead organiser Unison. "As a country, the UK urgently needs to invest in engineering, and attracting more youngsters to enter the profession is critical to that purpose. This event is about just that - we set out to show just how interesting and rewarding engineering is - and it's making a big difference in our region."
Over three days, more than 2700 schoolchildren and teachers - plus many more at evening public sessions - toured the exhibition. Among these was the guest of honour, HRH Prince Richard The Duke of Gloucester, representing his cousin Queen Elizabeth II. Prince Richard has a strong technical background, having trained as an architect and worked as a partner in a London practice before taking up Royal and family duties. The Duke identifed wholeheartedly with the ambitions of the event - to attract UK youngsters to become the engineers of tomorrow - and said he'd like to come back next year. As might be expected, he took particular interest in Atlas Ward Structures' exhibit - which demonstrated CAD software the Scarborough-based company uses to design steelwork for world-renowned projects such as The Shard and the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
NYBEP organised the student attendance from regional primary, secondary, sixth form and further education schools and colleges in and around the area.
Schoolchildren were treated to an array of engineering products and technology, from AB Graphic International, Atlas Ward Structures, Bluebird Vehicles, Castle Employment, Castle Group, Deep Sea Electronics, Dale Power Solutions, Derwent Training Association, F1 in Schools, Fanuc, DSE, Festo, Firmac, Forum Subsea Technologies, Hunprenco, Joy Global, McCain Foods, Moog, North Sea Winches, NYBEP, Osprey, Plaxton, Sainsbury's, Schneider Electronic, Unison, University of Hull, University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), Wilfrid Scruton, Yorkshire Coast College, and York Potash.
DSE delivered a range of bespoke hands-on activities to the school children including a project where the children could make their own Motion Writer using basic components and circuitry to experience electronics at a basic level. Managing Director Mr David Thomson said, "We were delighted to see how enthusiastic the kids were at all levels of education. It is vital that we inspire the budding engineers of the future"
