Jenn McEwan, Primary School Teacher and STEM Lead at Doonfoot Primary School

WHY DID YOU GET INVOLVED?

“The Leaders Award met a few areas we were targeting. We wanted to increase the science and STEM capital of our learners and because of my involvement in STEM I’m aware engineers tend to come from engineering families and unless you know someone who works in the job you probably don’t know the roles that exist or what they do” 

“We were keen to normalise and familiarise our learners with the roles engineers play and the variety within that. That was the beauty (of the Leaders Award) for us. Particularly for staff, a lot of the staff didn’t realise the myriad of areas in engineering and specialisms within the industry and so it actually turned out to be immersive CLPL for our staff, professional development through experiences with different engineers year on year” 

“Having the opportunity to reinforce what we are saying to children, but it is coming from someone else, someone who works in the field as well – it’s important that you are a good communicator, good listening skills and we could add value to pupil’s learning by linking the engineer to the topic they are studying” 

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH THE LEADERS AWARD COMPETITION?

“We weren’t doing the leaders award for the sake of it, we weren’t doing it for the competition – We did it because it enriches our learners’ experiences, the competition part was a bonus and gave us a structure to follow and gave us a clear purpose for involving engineers in the classroom”

“The leaders award helped pupils to talk about engineering with a level of understanding, they are able to talk about it in a way that know what they were talking about and can give examples of engineering jobs and where you would expect to see this in the real world”

“I felt that if I were to say to a child ‘would you like to be an engineer when you’re older’ whether they said yes or no, they would be able to explain why, before the competition they probably wouldn’t have been able to tell us why”

“The leaders award is a doorway into other aspects too, because of the success of the competition other schools would ask me about what they could do, and I would recommend the competition. Involving engineers then opened doors to other engineers interacting with learners and their whole world just gets a little wider, a little bit bigger which is fantastic and raises the capital of STEM with our learners and their families too because they would talk about this at home”

HOW IMPORTANT WHERE THE AWARDS & PUBLIC EXHIBITIONS TO YOUR PUPILS?

“The exhibitions and awards have a status we cannot replicate in schools. We can put work on walls but to have that accolade – to have outside people, people they have never met judge their entries and deem them the winners and their entries worth putting up on public display is so thrilling for the pupils”.

“Going to the events makes their achievement so much more formal and exciting, schools can be criticised for giving awards for everything, having an outside agency celebrate a child is so beneficial and gives families opportunities to support and celebrate their child”

The post Doonfoot Primary School – Case Study first appeared on Primary Engineer.

The University project is to benefit from a slice of a £26m grant, which will support 64 projects in total, and is part of Innovate UK’s Energy Catalyst programme in support of its continued efforts to create and demonstrate new technologies and business models to deliver a just and inclusive clean energy transition in Africa and Asia.

The portable wind turbine, invented by Douglas Macartney when he was 15 and a pupil at Royal High in Edinburgh, was developed by several teams of undergraduate engineers from GCU, working over several years to create a viable prototype – including the addition of two solar panels.

The device, which can be assembled without any specialist training, is intended to be used to help areas recovering from natural disasters and in rural settlements far from grid connection.

Dr Andrew Cowell, a senior lecturer at GCU and Principal Investigator for the project, said: “The wind turbine was conceived to generate enough electricity to power a light and two USBs sockets in a disaster relief zone or a refugee camp. The addition of solar panels was inspired partly by Douglas’ original idea, and partly from feedback from an Innovate UK research bid partner. All our calculations show the concept is viable.”

GCU will partner De Courcy Alexander, a London-based sustainable innovation consultancy, and E-Safiri Charging Limited, a Kenyan SME that focuses on research and innovative solutions to provide access to sustainable energy.

The funding will allow the three partners to link UK academia and small-scale rural industry in Kenya, where it is hoped the turbine will help create sustainable economic growth and education that will transform lives.

Dr Cowell said: “The technology would be able to improve energy access by making it affordable, reliable and low carbon. Our portable and flat-pack system is more feasible for deployment in rural areas and could reduce installation and transportation costs (and energy price in general) compared to a

conventional system, as it is stand-alone and off-grid, making it accessible to all. The local community will be trained on the assembly and use of the device and, ultimately, there are plans to try to manufacture it in Kenya.”

The project is due to start on March 1, 2023, and will run for 12 months, including field trials at suitable locations in Scotland and Kenya. The project will be entitled Angaza Africa, Angaza being a Swahili word meaning ‘to give light, illuminate, shine’.

Simon Graham, Head of Innovation at De Courcy Alexander, said: “Sometimes it seems that the great societal challenges are unsurmountable, but projects like Angaza Africa demonstrate that, by working together for the common good, we can make change happen. We are looking forward to working with Glasgow Caledonian University on this project and seeing the positive impact that it will have.”

The post Academics take flat-pack wind energy to Africa first appeared on Primary Engineer.

As you know, we are asking pupils and learners between the ages of 3 -19 to become creative problems solvers, and engineers in the making! The first step of which is interviewing a real life engineer!

We kick started our first interview with Vincent Giampietro, a Brain Engineer from Kings College London, School Of Medicine. The human brain is the most complex object in the known universe and what a truly fascinating interview it was! The school’s who joined us live submitted some fab question for Vincent to answer. Massive thanks to Vincent for joining us.

We are doing weekly interviews right up until Christmas with exciting industry professionals who will help inspire the next generation of engineers! View the upcoming interview schedule and sign up here. 

Watch the interview on YouTube!

All of our live engineer interviews are recorded and uploaded on YouTube.. subscribe and watch them now.

The post Exciting line up of LIVE Engineer Interviews! first appeared on Primary Engineer.

The highly prestigious Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal recognises and celebrates the innovation of young people aged 3 to 19 and the university teams that have taken those ideas and made them a reality. The award is supported by the MacRobert Trust, WEIR Group and the RAF Charitable Trust.

Jon Stanton CEO WEIR Group said “Here at WEIR innovation is core to what we do and we are delighted to support the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal to encourage and develop innovation in young people and early career engineers – this is where, we believe, our futures begin.”

The Medal is part of the wider ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ national competition encouraging young people to interview engineers, find a problem and draw and annotate a solution to it. Every entry is read and graded by engineers with each individual receiving a certificate. Exhibitions are held and awards presented in 18 different locations across the UK.

Chris Hockley CEO The MacRobert Trust said “The MacRobert Trust, with our long-term passion for supporting engineering across the country, at all levels, is truly delighted to be supporting the entire Primary Engineer initiative and the inspiring “If you were an engineer, what would you do?” competition, in particular. Congratulations to all the winners and welcome to the MacRobert “family”. “

This year’s medallists, announced by Primary Engineer’s CEO, Dr Susan Scurlock MBE at COP26, celebrates the creativity and inspiration that emerges from the interaction of young people with engineering and engineers.

The winners are awarded gold, silver or bronze medals for their designs, which are often inspired by the young person’s personal experiences and aspirations for the environment, health or other key topics.

Bronze Medallist

Road Flash – designed by Caeran aged 8 from St Mary’s Primary School, Ballyward, Northern Ireland and produced by Ulster University. An invention which would create a new signal to alert drivers entering a blind spot that another vehicle is already in it.  

Silver Medallists

Extending Sink – designed by Savannagh aged 6 from Abacus Belsize Primary School, London and produced by Kingston University London. Designed to adjust to the height of the person approaching it – to be used for people with disabilities and in hospital settings. 

The Super Hearing Dish – designed by Isabelle aged 8 from Wonersh and Shamley Green Church of England Primary School, Surrey and produced by the University of Southampton. Inspired to help her father, who has a hearing impairment, hear better the conversations held over loud ambient noise – at the kitchen table and in meetings.

Gold Medallists

The Bicycle Sucker – designed by Maisie aged 7 from Rowan Preparatory School, Surrey and produced by Kingston University London. This invention uses the pedal motion of a bicycle which is attached to tubes that go down a well and move water out of the well into the bucket.

Hydro-Paddle – designed by Heather aged 11 from Portmoak Primary School, Kinross and produced by Glasgow Caledonian University. This invention was by Heather’s wishes to address climate change and uses water power in down pipes to turn a turbine and generate electricity.  

SMA Jacket – designed by Krystina aged 15 of Sir John Thursby Community College, Burnley and produced by the University of Central Lancashire. This invention allows children like Krystina’s cousin, who is living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), to live a more conventional life by wearing an exoskeleton engineered jacket which gives support and extra strength to their back muscles and spine.

Dr Susan Scurlock CEO and Founder of Primary Engineer commented “We are very proud to have the link to The MacRobert Trust and their legacy of celebrating the very best in engineering and we are grateful to WEIR Group and RAFCT for enabling us to establish this medal. I also would like to thank the judges; this was not an easy task but a hugely inspiring one! Through the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal we are now able to highlight the link between universities and schools celebrating the creativity in young people and the ProtoTeams engineering their solutions It just cannot fail to inspire everyone with the art of the ‘engineered’ possible.”

Hear from the engineers and the designers themselves in the ‘If you were an engineer…’ Podcast www.leadersaward.com/podcast

For more information about the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal www.primaryengineer.com

The post Primary Engineer MacRobert Medals Announced at COP26 first appeared on Primary Engineer.

The University has joined forces with not-for-profit organisation Primary Engineer and its ‘If You Were an Engineer, What Would You Do?’ competition, to encourage children and young people to consider a career in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics).

Each year, the competition sees tens of thousands of young people identify problems – large and small – and design engineering solutions to solve them. 

The results from the competition will be presented as part of an exhibition during COP26, the annual United Nations climate change summit, on 7^th November in Glasgow.

Professor Ray Sheriff, Associate Head of Engineering, Edge Hill University, said: “We are delighted to be working with Primary Engineer as the partner for Liverpool and Merseyside and Cheshire. We are at the early stages of establishing Engineering at the University and are very excited by the opportunity to engage with the region’s primary and secondary schools and enthuse the next generation of engineers.”

Primary Engineer will be attending COP26 as an exhibitor alongside Scottish Engineering and The International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWEs).

Dr Susan Scurlock MBE, CEO and Founder of Primary Engineer, said: “We are truly delighted to partner again with Edge Hill University to inspire young people in the region to design creative engineering solutions to concrete problems they identify around them or in the world and which in turn inspire engineers.

“To be part of COP26 in Glasgow is a huge honour and we are delighted to have this opportunity to showcase the work of the children, pupils, teachers, students and engineers who have taken part in our programmes.”

Edge Hill’s Engineering courses offer students a chance to explore a whole host of areas and become a specialist in electronic engineering, robotics, intelligent automation or electrical engineering.

The University is home to a £13 million tech hub that includes a 3D Computer Augmented Virtual Environment (CAVE) and specialist labs with electronics, robots, and microprocessors.

The ‘If You Were an Engineer, What Would You Do?’ competition is free to enter and is open to all primary and secondary schools in the UK. Teachers can register online, and schools will be provided with resources and lesson plans to support the competition. For further information, please visit: www.leadersaward.com 

The post Talents of future engineers to be showcased at COP26 first appeared on Primary Engineer.

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) and Primary Engineer are to partner once again to help inspire local youngsters and spark their interest in engineering.

Primary Engineer is an educational not-for-profit organisation that provides programmes to encourage young people, aged between 3 and 19, to consider STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) careers.

UCLan is the Lancashire partner for Primary Engineer’s ‘If You Were an Engineer, What Would You Do?’ competition, which each year sees tens of thousands of young people identify problems – large and small – and design solutions to solve them. University engineering teams will then bring some of these ideas to life by creating working prototypes. 

Previous entries to the competition – which typically receives a 50:50 gender split of entries – have included the development of the 3D printed exoskeleton jacket to help a child living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA). 

As part of the competition, experts from UCLan’s School of Engineering will be interviewed by the participants and will help to judge the entries from across Lancashire. 

UCLan will host an exhibition of entries from local youngsters and hold a regional awards ceremony on campus next year.

UCLan’s School of Engineering will also build a number of prototypes from selected winning designs by the children who entered the 2020/21 competition.

Dr Susan Scurlock MBE, CEO and Founder of Primary Engineer, said: “We are delighted to see our partnership with UCLan continue to grow with more opportunities for young people to see their ideas, which originate on paper take life in the UCLan engineering school, how can you not but be inspired!”

Professor Graham Baldwin, Vice Chancellor at UCLan, added: “Inspiring the next generation of young engineering minds is vital for our future prosperity. We are therefore delighted to once again partner with Primary Engineer and work alongside our region’s talented youngsters. The ongoing development of our exoskeleton project demonstrates how exciting ideas can become reality with the potential to change lives.” 

Building on their strong collaboration, UCLan’s School of Engineering and Primary Engineer are able to support UCLan’s ‘Engineer of the Future; from Primary School to Postgraduate’. This will include widening participation initiatives for pupils studying high school Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM) projects as well as a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and Postgraduate Certificate programme for teachers. 

The ‘If You Were an Engineer, What Would You Do?’ competition is free to enter and is open to all primary and secondary schools in the UK. Teachers can register online, and schools will be provided with resources and lesson plans to support the competition. For further information, please visit: www.leadersaward.com 

Ends

Notes to Editor 

The University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) in Preston was founded in 1828 as the Institution for the Diffusion of Knowledge. Since those early days it has grown into one of the UK’s largest universities with a staff and student community approaching 38,000 and an employment-focused course portfolio containing over 350 undergraduate programmes and nearly 250 postgraduate courses. The University has an established research reputation with world-leading or internationally excellent work taking place within the areas of Business, Health, Humanities and Science.

As a truly global institution with an established campus in Cyprus, UCLan’s student body includes 120 nationalities, and its partnership network extends to 125 countries. In 2021 the Center for World University Rankings placed UCLan in the top 7 percent of all worldwide universities.

The University has a strong focus on continually improving the student experience. According to the 2020 Student Welfare League Table, UCLan is ranked first for the money invested into student wellbeing services. Its soon-to-be-completed masterplan redevelopment has created an attractive and inviting, world-class campus in Preston which is helping to create jobs, kick-start regeneration and attract inward investment into the City.

University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) website: https://www.uclan.ac.uk/ 

Primary Engineer is an educational not-for-profit organisation which inspires pupils, parents and teachers through continued professional development courses, whole class project work, competitions, and engagement with engineering and STEM professionals to ensure the learning has a context to the wider world. Primary Engineer addresses the diversity and gender imbalance in engineering with an inclusive approach for early years, primary and secondary pupils across the UK.

The post ‘If you were an engineer, what would you do?’ first appeared on Primary Engineer.

The Primary Engineer Structures and Mechanisms with Basic Electrics programme enables teachers to deliver the engineering projects to Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils. Teachers attend a practical CPD course and are provided with sets of tools, consumables and online resources as part of the fully funded project.  The world of engineering offers limitless possibilities; together, Canterbury Christ Church University and Primary Engineer^® are providing an end-to-end educational journey.

Chris Rochester, UK Director at Primary Engineer, said: “Our partnership with Canterbury Christ Church University enables pupils at both primary and secondary schools to engage with, and be inspired by, engineering professionals. Through the ‘If You Were an Engineer, What Would You Do?^®’ competition, pupils identify and tackle issues in the world, making it a better place. Early engagement with pupils is essential for young people to understand the breadth of engineering and the exciting career opportunities it offers them.   The Structures and Mechanisms with Basic Electrics programme and the ‘If You Were an Engineer, What Would You Do?^®’ competition provides teachers with engaging, curriculum-mapped projects to plant the seed of engineering and allow it to flourish.”

Professor Helen James, Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Canterbury Christ Church University, said: “We’re delighted to continue our support for Primary Engineer’s Structures and Mechanisms with Basic Electrics course, which will strengthen our partnership to inspire the next generation of engineers. Engaging children at a young age with engineering and STEM subjects is vital for the development of highly skilled graduates to support the growth of our national and regional businesses. Through our work with Primary Engineer, we can encourage and develop the creativity of young minds and nurture their talent by showing them that engineering is a rewarding and world-changing career.”

‘If You Were an Engineer, What Would You Do?^®’ asks primary and secondary school students to identify a problem in the world, design a solution to it and write a persuasive letter to judges about why their design should win. Inspired by interviews with engineering professionals, students discover a range of roles and careers in engineering, learning to look at the world around them and design solutions to everyday problems.

The STEM deficit that engineering companies face blocks industry progression; by introducing young people to engineering we aim to spark an early interest in future careers. To find out about Primary Engineer’s ‘If You Were an Engineer, What Would You Do?’ competition and the ‘Structures and Mechanisms with Basic Electrics’ programme, visit www.primaryengineer.com.

About Primary Engineer^®

Primary Engineer is an educational not-for-profit organisation that provides a suite of programmes to encourage children from 3 to 19 years to consider STEM and engineering careers. Primary Engineer inspires children, pupils, parents and teachers through continued professional development courses, whole class project work, competitions, and engagement with engineers and industry professionals to ensure the learning has a context to the wider world. Primary Engineer addresses the diversity and gender imbalance in engineering with early years, primary and secondary pupils.

About Canterbury Christ Church University

Canterbury Christ Church University is a major contributor to regional skills and innovation in Kent and Medway. It has a strong track record in education, research and graduate skills for the regional economy, supporting growth in science, healthcare, and the creative and digital industries. The University’s new £65m STEM facility for Kent and Medway opened in January 2021, helping to generate a new pipeline of highly skilled engineering and technology graduates for the region.

The post INTRODUCING ENGINEERING TO YOUNG MINDS WITH THE SUPPORT OF CANTERBURY CHRIST CHURCH UNIVERSITY first appeared on Primary Engineer.

As both projects require engagement with engineering professionals and educationalists, the partnership with UWE Bristol provides both primary and secondary school pupils in South West England with opportunities to develop STEM skills and gain valuable insights into engineering careers. Both ‘If You Were An Engineer, What Would You Do?^®’ and Primary Engineer Structures and Mechanisms with Basic Electrics provide opportunities to bridge the gap between education and engineering offering teachers and pupils meaningful opportunities to work with engineering professionals through whole-class, curriculum-aligned projects.

Chris Rochester, UK Director at Primary Engineer, said: “We are thrilled to have UWE Bristol continue as a University partner for ‘If You Were An Engineer, What Would You Do?’ and to also fund the ‘Primary Engineer Structures and Mechanisms with Basic Electrics project’ through DETI. Winning designs from ‘If You Were An Engineer, What Would You Do?^®’ will continue to be developed and built by UWE Bristol engineering students into a full-scale functioning prototype, giving the school pupils  who entered the competition insight into the process behind designing and manufacturing a product as well as seeing their design brought to life.”

Dr Laura Fogg-Rogers is the DETI Inspire Leader “We are really pleased to partner with Primary Engineer to support our DETI Inspire educational programme. Supporting teachers to engage with STEM activities is so important, as they are critical influences in young children’s lives. There are so many exciting careers available in engineering, and it all starts with children learning that they have the power to make a difference in the world”.

The Primary Engineer Structures and Mechanisms with Basic Electrics project begins with a one-day CPD course for primary teachers which enables them to deliver the engineering projects with Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils. Teachers are provided with sets of tools, consumables and online resources as part of the fully funded project and will be partnered with engineering professionals from UWE and local businesses to provide a real-world context to the learning.

If You Were An Engineer, What Would You Do?^® asks pupils from early years, primary schools and secondary schools to identify a problem in the world and design a solution to it. Inspired by interviewing engineering professionals from a range of roles and research engineering, pupils are encouraged to ‘find the engineer they could be’ by designing the future of engineering. Pupils are challenged to look at the world around them to find problems an engineered solution could solve. Alongside their annotated drawings, pupils write an accompanying letter to persuade the judges to select their design to be one of a number of designs to be built by UWE Bristol.

About UWE Bristol

UWE Bristol’s Engineering, Design and Mathematics Department (EDM) are leading the Skills Development branch of DETI, establishing an engineering engagement hub for the West of England, based out of their new state-of-the-art School of Engineering building, and delivering three Skills programmes: Inspire, Transform and Innovate. Encouraging diversity and inclusivity, DETI Inspire engages children in primary and secondary education across the West of England, with a focus on disadvantaged areas. Using curriculum-linked engineering outreach and careers support, the programme connects children with real-life, diverse engineering role models via their Diversity Demonstrator, to widen participation and aspirations for STEM careers.

For further information visit https://www.nccuk.com/deti/skills/

About Primary Engineer

Primary Engineer is an educational not-for-profit providing a suite of programmes to encourage children from 3 to 19 years to consider STEM and data careers. Primary Engineer inspires children, pupils, parents and teachers through continued professional development, whole class project work, competitions, and engagement with industry professionals to ensure the learning has a context to the wider world. The suite consists of award-winning ‘If You Were An Engineer, What Would You Do?^®’, STATWARS^® and Primary Engineer^® CPD Programmes. For further information visit www.primaryengineer.com

The post UWE Bristol teams up again with Primary Engineer to inspire schools and pupils first appeared on Primary Engineer.

The Carlisle and Lake District Airport provided an excellent venue for the official Launch of the Cumbria Primary engineer and Secondary Engineer Leaders Award competition “If you were an Engineer, what would you do?”.

Funded and supported by the University of Cumbria, the Launch was attended by representatives from industry, academia, local government, the voluntary sector and professional institutions. Local pupils from Longtown and Hayton Primary schools were joined by students from Beacon Hill Secondary school, Wigton, engaging with attending engineers from Stobart and other guests, who talked about their roles in engineering.

The children then showcased the competition, when asked the question “If you were an Engineer, what would you do?”, and set about identifying a problem of their own – choosing and drawing both innovative and creative solutions.

There were designs to solve problems identified that made it easy to feed pets, help people with disabilities and increase the comfort in car travel, among many others. All were admired and discussed with the guests.

This is a task completed in regions across the UK and is collectively the largest engineering design competition for children in the country. In 2018/19, over 49,000 entries were received from children aged 3 to 19 years from schools across the British Isles.

Liam Weatherill Regional Director, Primary Engineer said. ”We are delighted that through the generosity of the University of Cumbria we are able to run the competition in Cumbria and invite all Cumbrian schools to participate.

Being able to Launch the event at the Carlisle and Lake District Airport provides a great venue and, with a perfect view from the terminal building, shows engineering in action as aircraft arrive and depart”.

Nigel Smith, STEM Lead for the University of Cumbria, said “We are delighted to be supporting Primary Engineer in Cumbria to enable children from across the region to take part in this fantastic competition.  The University of Cumbria is very focused on introducing young people to the many opportunities studying engineering and choosing a career in industry can bring, and this competition introduces the children to engineers, which is a great first step”.

The Launch included presentations from (Left to right): Kate Dixon, Head of Recruitment & Portfolio Development (University of Cumbria); Emma Guy, Business Development Manager (Institution of Mechanical Engineers); Liam Weatherill, Regional Director (Primary Engineer); Andy Lucas, Director for Rail and Civil Engineering (Stobart) and Stobart Graduate Trainee Engineers Michaela Silver-Woods and Anouchka Valaydon.

Andy Lucas was very impressed with the Launch event and programme: “Stobart are very excited about providing engineer support to schools across the region, as it gives our engineers an opportunity to inspire children to consider engineering as a future pathway. Michela and Anouchka have really enjoyed working with the children and presenting to the audience. We very much look forward to our engineers taking part by visiting schools, providing online presentations and grading the entries from Cumbria schools.”

Winning entries from the previous year from other regions were displayed in a mini-exhibition and perused by all who attended.

The competition will be closed to entries from Cumbria schools on 25^th March 2020 and winning entries will be selected by a panel of judges from local industry and the University of Cumbria.

Presentations will be made at the Awards event, hosted by the University of Cumbria in June 2020, where all schools entering the competition will have entries displayed in the Cumbria public exhibition.

The post Leaders Award ‘If you were an engineer what would you do?’ competition takes-off in Cumbria first appeared on Primary Engineer.

BRENTWOOD, Essex, 04 July, 2018 – The Primary Engineer programme for 2017/18, which aims to encourage primary-school-age children into engineering careers, culminated with a celebration event at Ford’s Dunton Technical Centre. Around 120 students from 20 local schools took part in a day of competition to showcase the electric vehicle projects they had worked on for the previous eight months of the academic year.

Primary Engineer, a non-profit organisation, run a variety of engineering-based courses to make engineering fun and exciting, helping to inspire the next generation of engineers. Starting with a teacher-training day in October 2017, Primary Engineer linked Ford engineers with local schools to boost awareness of STEM related professions and support teachers and students in the practical aspects of the course.

“It is well recognised that introducing engineering principles to primary aged children can make a real difference in how they view the industry,” said Sarah Haslam, Product Vehicle Team (PVT) Manager, Ford of Europe. “The Primary Engineer programme leaves students with a positive impression of engineering as a creative and fun industry. This can only be a net benefit for the future.”

Ford Motor Company Fund, a non-profit organisation and the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, supported Primary Engineer with a £15,000 grant to execute this programme. Ford Fund invests in innovative programmes focused on Education, Sustainable Communities and Safe, Smart Mobility. Ford has renewed this partnership for the 2018/19 academic year.

“The support offered by Ford allowed us to bring Primary Engineer programmes to schools across Essex, culminating in this fantastic celebration event,” said Dr Susan Scurlock, CEO and Founder, Primary Engineer. “The pupils have acquired a range of skills and shown a flair for engineering, and with our continued partnership with Ford we look forward to inspiring the next generation of engineers.”

Ford and Primary Engineer are both active partners of the Year of Engineering, a government campaign aimed at reducing the skills gap within the engineering industry. Government envoy to the campaign, Stephen Metcalfe MP, attended the event and gave a speech to the young students about the important role engineering plays in the UK economy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeJel6084so&feature=youtu.be

The post Ford and Primary Engineer Inspire 120 Young Engineers of the Future first appeared on Primary Engineer.