PUPILS at a South Yorkshire school will go head-to-head against others in the UK on a unique engineering project which they will present to industry leaders at Magna next year.
Representatives from Workwise – a nationwide employer-led initiative which supports the development of young people, so that they have the knowledge and skills for employment – visited Swinton Academy to talk to students about a possible career in science technology, engineering and the manufacturing sector (STEM).
They also officially launched a regional engineering project – the Institution of Engineering and Technology Innovation Challenge – where a select group of Year 9 students from the Rotherham school will partner a local employer and compete against others in the UK.
The pupils who will work on the project, sponsored by the Worshipful Company of Ironmongers, were chosen following a competitive interview process, which saw 30 selected from 52 applicants. They will be split into smaller groups and will start work on the project after the October half term before presenting their work at the annual Get Up to Speed with STEM (GUTS) event at Magna in March.
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Sarah Sykes, careers officer for Swinton Academy, said: “This is an amazing opportunity for our school to showcase just how talented we are when it comes to working on STEM projects.
“We are expecting the competition to be tough, but I have no doubt that the pupils from Swinton Academy will work very hard on the venture.”
GUTS, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2020, is a free event where visitors will get the chance to see some of the UK’s most exciting science, technology and engineering inventions. There will also be the chance to meet the people who design, build and operate them.
Research shows that a staggering 58% of 11-14-year-olds know virtually nothing about apprenticeships and the types of apprenticeships available in engineering – and yet 19% of the total UK workforce is employed in the engineering sector.
Swinton Academy have worked hard to improve links with local science, technology, engineering and manufacturing (STEM) industry leaders.
Earlier this month, the school renewed their partnership with Liberty Steel Group as a select group of pupils also got the chance to visit their Thrybergh plant to see the recycling process and link it to the award-winning eco-greenhouse project which involved working with Katie Andrews from the company.
They were shown around Liberty Steel by five retired steel workers, who explained the recycling process to pupils and actively encourage more schools in the Rotherham area to visit.
And in November, Swinton Academy will take a group of Year 7 girls to Aesseal; one of the world’s leading specialists in the design and manufacture of mechanical seals and support systems.
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For more details contact Kerry Ganly at Penguin PR by ringing 01332 416228/07734 723951 or emailing [email protected]
