Small island, big possibilities for engineering! 

The Isle of Man has a rich history of engineering, dating back centuries. The island’s unique geographical location and natural resources have played significant roles in shaping its engineering landscape.

Today, the Isle of Man’s engineering sector continues to thrive, with a focus on areas such as renewable energy, technology, and marine engineering. The island’s skilled workforce and supportive business environment have made it an attractive location for engineering companies.

The future of engineering in Isle of Man looks at cultivating a diverse and dynamic talent pool, bridging the gap between education and industry starting from the earliest stages of education.

Bringing the joy of engineering into schools 

We have been bringing engineering to life in primary and secondary classrooms across Isle of Man with our fully-funded programme and competition working in partnership with Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce STEM Committee ACE since 2021 and closely with University College of the Isle of Man. These activities engage both teachers and pupils in significant ways by creating meaningful connections between engineering principles and real-world applications.

The ACE Committee (Awareness of Careers in Engineering), comprising of some of the engineering companies on the Isle of Man, is dedicated to promoting STEM skills on the island. ACE funding goes towards programmes in education on the island centered around primary, secondary and college education within STEM subjects.

Early engagement: why starting young matters

Research indicates that interest and perceptions of STEM fields are formed during primary school years and solidify by the early teens. This highlights the importance of early engagement in igniting a passion for engineering.

Furthermore, the UK faces a challenge of low awareness and understanding of engineering amongst its younger generation. Figures published by EngineeringUK in 2020 found that 47% of 11 to 19 year-olds knew little or nothing about what engineers do, with some learners found to possess limited definitions that framed engineering as difficult, complicated and dirty work.

Ref: (EngineeringUK, 2020. Engineering UK 2020: Educational pathways into engineering).

Traditionally, many engineers are inspired by someone they know. But what about pupils who lack such role models? The lack of role models for children or a clear picture of what engineers do, coupled with a lack of diversity in the field, is a significant challenge. This limited understanding translates into a smaller talent pool, hindering the industry’s ability to attract future engineers.

Together with support from our partners, we help to lay the practical foundation for a future generation of passionate and skilled engineers, primed to make a positive impact on the world.

A year of growth and inspiration

But how specifically have we been bringing engineering to Isle of Man? Well we’ve been doing this in two ways, with our Leaders Award competition and our Primary Engineer Construction Programme. Let’s take a deeper look..

Leaders Award competition

Our Leaders Award competition is open to all pupils aged 3-19 and asks the question “If you were an engineer, what would you do?”. Pupils are tasked with interviewing an engineer, where they have the opportunity to ask the questions that matter to them, before identifying a problem, then drawing and annotating a solution. Over 2023-2024 academic year, the competition in the Isle of Man has shown incredible growth, with an 85% increase in participating schools.

We enable connections between companies and schools, facilitating in-school engineering visits, site-visits and live online engineer interviews, fostering local brand awareness and demystifying the engineering profession.

This exposes pupils to a world they might not have known existed, empowers them to ask questions that truly resonate with them and gives them a role model. This shatters pre-conceived notions about what engineering is and what engineers look like. Not only benefits companies by creating a talent pipeline, but also exposing young minds to the exciting world of engineering right on their doorstep, potentially inspiring future careers.

Pupils at Ashley Hill School had family members within the engineering profession, who were invited into the classroom to inspire the pupils at the early stage of the competition. It’s wonderful to see parents get involved in the competition and not only inspire their own children, but their peers too. The school commented to say ”The competition has been amazing for the pupils and has really brought them out of their shells”.

The University College of the Isle of Man hosted this year’s award ceremony and public exhibition with 145 guests attending, including pupils, families, teachers and industry professionals. The exhibition showcased each participating school from the region; it was great to bring everybody together to celebrate the pupils for their incredible efforts in the competition.

We have a fantastic opportunity for Isle of Man schools to join an exclusive live engineer interview during British Science Week with Roger Smith, British watchmaker and the only apprentice of the late master watchmaker, George Daniels. His handmade watches are a work of mechanical art and a celebration of what is possible, applying next generation science to what has always been regarded as a traditional art form. Find out more.

Primary Engineer Construction Programme

For the past 3 years, our partnership with Isle of Man Chamber of Commerce on our Primary Engineer Construction Programme has provided the opportunity for 10 schools to benefit from a one-day CPD training course, supplied kit and resources to build up to 30 projects across two classrooms in each school and a celebration event to bring the schools together and celebrate the power of engineering. The classroom sessions allow for 60 pupils to build 15 Lower Primary tipper trucks and 15 Upper Primary towers with an electrical circuit, working in pairs.

Our partnership also facilitated the opportunity for 5 previously trained schools to receive a continuation kit, meaning they could deliver the project again, to a new class, deepening the impact in the school.

Similarly to the competition, The Primary Engineer Construction Programme provides a fantastic opportunity to engage with engineering, meet and work with engineering professionals and develop engineering skills. Thanks to our partnership, we successfully linked some schools with an engineer to support the teacher within the classroom.

We delivered in-person training in January 2024, which allowed both teachers and engineers to be in the same room and train together, establishing the relationship from the beginning. We were joined by 13 teachers from 10 schools who were excited to build their confidence in delivering STEM Projects to their pupils.

“The course was unbelievably relaxing in nature allowing for a great learning setting as teachers enabling us to be hands which allowed us to get to grips with exactly what was required and issues which might arise with children in our own settings. Even though I say it was relaxing and fun it was fast paced and very informative, definitely sent me back to school wanting to incorporate more STEM based projects into every year group.”

Bunscoill Rhumsaa School

We hosted our celebration event in July 2024 at the UCM, Isle of Man. All participating schools were invited to the event, with 71 pupils attending on behalf of the 723 who participated. We had engineering professionals from Swagelok and Manx Utilities with us for the duration of the morning. They were fantastic in engaging the pupils with their interviews and the testing of their tipper trucks and towers.

“A couple of students of mine who struggle in some areas of learning in the classroom absolutely loved the project. One won the award for ‘Best Communicator’ at the Celebration Event, which gave him so much happiness and confidence!”

Andreas Primary School

“It’s incredibly rewarding to see the enthusiasm and creativity that students from the Isle of Man bring to these engineering projects. The partnership with ACE has been instrumental in providing these young minds with the tools and opportunities they need to explore the world of engineering. By engaging with real-world challenges and working alongside industry professionals, students are not only gaining valuable skills but are also getting a taste of what a future career in engineering could look like. This is crucial for addressing the current skills shortage on the island. By inspiring the next generation of engineers, we are helping to ensure a robust and skilled workforce for the future. We are committed to continuing our efforts to bridge the gap between education and industry, and to support these bright young innovators as they embark on their engineering journeys.”

Natasha Kinnear, Head of Partnerships for North West England at Primary Engineer

Be part of the story!

We are proud of our work in the Isle of Man. Are you an engineering and technology professional eager to make a difference? Join the movement and become an ‘Engineer Inspirer’ with Primary Engineer. With our variety of flexible opportunities available, it couldn’t be easier! Simply register your interest by filling out the form below and our dedicated Engineer Relationship Team will be in touch.