Smallpeice helps young people to try engineering

Smallpeice helps young people to try engineering

More than 300 young people have had the chance to experience engineering first hand through a series of four-day residential courses held at British universities by the Smallpeice Trust.

More than 30 14 and 15-year-olds attended an electronic-engineering course,run in partnership with Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) and Qinetiq. The course, designed by GCHQ and facilitated by graduates from both organizations, was the second time that this specialist course had been run following a successful pilot event last year.

After an introduction to analogue and digital electronics – and having tried their hands at a number of practical exercises, including designing and building a radio receiver and a locking system – the students were challenged to design and build a buggy capable of following a white line around a track using opto-switch sensors, with fibre optics controlling the speed. The students also had the opportunity to see and try a genuine Enigma machine and other coding devices, and learnt about careers in electronic engineering and opportunities for career development within the two organizations.

More than 40 16 and 17-year-olds attended the first Smallpeice engineering and business-skills course, which offered an insight into entrepreneurship and careers in new technologies. The students learned about developing teams and completed a questionnaire to find out their key roles within their own team. The students practised their communication skills with the Oxford Problem Solvers,and learned how to market their products. Ford Motor Co and the Engineering Employers' Federation provided management games to consolidate and practise the skills learned. The course concluded with presentations on gap-year opportunities and engineering degrees, and advice for completing UCAS forms.

The Smallpeice engineering-skills and careers course was attended by more than 100 14 and 15-year-olds. The Construction Industry Training Board provided an ice-breaker. This was followed by a series of half-day workshops in project management, materials selection and engineering design. Smiths Aerospace offered advice on career planning. Personal case studies and an insight into the career opportunities available were presented by graduates from Rolls Royce, GCHQ and the Royal Navy. The course ended with a robotic project and competition, by the Oxford Trust.

Meanwhile, 50 youngsters, aged 13 to 15, attended a marine technology course,run in partnership with Young Engineers and sponsored by Lloyds Register. The course included presentations from the Royal National Lifeboat Institution,Qinetiq, the Royal Navy and Lloyd's Register, and the students were given a choice of three design-and-build projects which encouraged them to investigate real-life specifications of ship building. Time was spent designing and making boats from various materials and technical sets, and the products were tested in a competition held at the local swimming pool. The students also visited the Sea Mounting Centre (part of the Warship Support Agency) where they had the opportunity to see where repairs and maintenance of maritime-based platforms,systems and equipment take place.

Some 20 girls flew to France, and 20 to Finland, to attend two further courses presented by the Smallpeice Trust. Visits to industry, practical workshops and presentations by women engineers demonstrated the global aspect of engineering and the opportunities for women in what is still a male-dominated environment.

Further information is available from the Smallpeice Trust, on +44 1926 333200, or on the Internet, at www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk.

Meanwhile, an innovative learning centre designed to encourage more young engineers is being pioneered by Stourbridge College. It has teamed up with Sandwell Training Association on the initiative, which is modelled on the college's £8.5 million advanced-technology centre (ATC) for the built environment at Brierley Hill.

Sadie Walton, college principal, said: "Engineering is a much-maligned industry. We want to replicate what we have at our pioneering ATC and to change the perception of the engineering industry to one that is exciting and vibrant.

"We are keen to form strong partnerships with local training providers like Sandwell Training Association and the Learning and Skills Council to help to change the perception of engineering across the Black Country."