Thales Engineer Inspires Local School With The Power of Engineering
Colin Scouller, UK Head of Engineering Early Careers at Thales and a volunteer with Primary Engineer, introduced his local school, Gargieston Primary and Early Childhood Centre to the world of engineering with Primary Engineer’s annual competition that asks pupils aged 3-19 ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’.
The visit
Colin, along with another engineer Ryan Harrison, visited Gargieston Primary in January 2024 as part of the school’s STEM engineering week to deliver workshops to pupils from P3 – P7.
In these workshops they demonstrated equipment like thermal cameras, showcased the diverse career paths available in engineering and the relevance of Thales’ work (think passports and airplanes!). Colin also used this visit as an opportunity to talk about Thales’ national partnership with Primary Engineer and launch the ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ competition in the school for the first time.
The STEM week was a new initiative for the school, and it was met with great enthusiasm from the pupils and from the teaching staff. In addition to the sessions run by Thales, the school also had an exciting visit from a team from the National Robotarium and had a variety of workshops organised for their classes by their Primary Science and Sustainability Development Officer and Local Authority Digital lead.
Mrs Warton, Deputy Head Teacher at Gargieston Primary School said “The success of this week has helped to increase our teachers’ confidence in planning and leading STEM learning and teaching and has made us more aware of the ways that STEM activities can be linked to contexts across the curriculum, supporting valuable skills for life and work. We plan to have another STEM week, and would be delighted to have Colin’s support again.”
The competition brought engineering to life for the pupils, challenging the stereotype of what engineering is and who engineers look like, demonstrating that it is all around us. Pupils were tasked with identifying a problem in the world around them and coming up with a creative solution to that problem. The pupils discussed and developed their engineering ideas in class together then started their competition entries at home as homework. This gave parents and guardians an insight into what the pupils had been learning about in class and in particular, many people at home might not come from an engineering background or know that much about engineering so it was a nice loop of learning experiences.
Reminiscing on the visit, Colin commented to say “One of the highlights for me was at the end of the school day watching the pupils leave the classroom and run over to their parents, excitedly telling them about their day with the engineers!”.
The visit proved to be a turning point for many students, including Colin’s daughter. Having always been interested in her father’s work and with a love for making things, the competition sparked further curiosity in her. She was so engaged and enthusiastic that she spent seven hours working on her competition entry. This newfound passion has led her to aspire to a career in engineering.
Celebration
On Friday 10th May 2024 pupils from across Scotland South West visited Prestwick Airport to receive awards and recognition for their engineering ideas.
Scott Dalgleish, Head of Marketing and Communications at Primary Engineer was joined by Carl Graham from GE Caledonian and Colin Scouller from Thales who helped present the awards on the night.
Colin, “Things like this are important because it gives hope for the future. As I looked around the variety of innovative competition entries, I was so energised by the sheer imagination of these pupils. There’s no bias or constraints with pupils, anything is possible, and I love that about working with Primary Engineer. The kids have it and it’s all going to be ok!”
Congratulations to all the winners and Highly Commended, including Primary 7 pupil Mia from Whatriggs Primary School, whose idea “The Book Helper” stood out to the judging panel and won the Judges Award.
Colin was particularly proud of his Primary 3 daughter, Sophia, who was one of the winners on the night for her idea of “The Focus Band”.
Thales’ Longstanding Partnership with Primary Engineer
Thales’ commitment to community outreach and promoting STEM education extends beyond individual volunteer efforts and social value alignment. The company has evolved from being a regional partner to a national partner of Primary Engineer on their Leaders Award competition, demonstrating their dedication to inspiring engineers in the making.
This commitment is further solidified by Thales’ pioneering role in 2023 as Primary Engineer’s first industry partner to build a prototype, “The face for a plant” based on a student’s competition entry.
This year, Thales have been taking things a step further, with its five main sites each creating prototypes inspired by student competition entries.
Get Involved
The success of the Leaders Award “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” competition lies in its accessibility and ease for both schools and engineering professionals. The competition is a valuable resource for teachers, boosting their confidence in delivering STEM education and fostering a collaborative environment between educators and industry.
Pupils cannot aspire to something they didn’t know existed, they need role models which is why bringing engineering and technology professionals into classrooms to work alongside teachers and pupils is a major part of what Primary Engineer delivers.
Become a Primary Engineer ‘Engineer Inspirer’ and discover the opportunities.
The positive impact of these initiatives is evident in the enthusiasm of pupils like Colin’s daughter and the dedication of volunteers like himself. By fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration, competitions like Leaders Award “If you were an engineer, what would you?” play a crucial role in shaping a brighter future for STEM education.