IET: Cornwall schools to take part in UK engineering challenge

Budding young engineers from three schools in Cornwall are set to take up the task of researching, designing and building solutions to real engineering problems.

Redruth School will host the Faraday engineering challenge day on Monday 18 October. Teams from Pool Business and Enterprise College and Falmouth College will also take part.

The event is one of 45 Faraday engineering challenge days, which will involve pupils from 270 schools across the UK. The events are organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

The challenge days aim to encourage more young people to study and consider careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) by encouraging creativity, innovation and problem solving skills.

Gareth James, the IET’s Head of Education, said: “The Faraday programme is all about inspiring and attracting tomorrow’s engineers. Engineering is often an invisible industry amongst young people. They also have preconceived negative ideas about what engineers look like and the jobs they do.

“Through these challenge days and the entire Faraday programme we aim to encourage more young people to study STEM subjects and consider engineering as a possible career path.

“The young people attending the challenge days will experience hands-on, practical events to challenge their perceptions and make them realise engineering is an exciting, rewarding career path.”

Each challenge day will comprise six teams of six 12 to 13-year-olds. From the 270 schools participating, the three top teams will be invited to participate in the UK final at the Big Bang Fair in London during March 2011 to battle it out for the top prize of £1,000.

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Notes to editors:

. Interview and filming opportunities are available.
. Expert IET spokespeople are available for interview.
. The IET is Europe’s largest professional body of engineers with 150,000 members in 127 countries.
. The IET dates back to 1871 and has offices in Europe, Asia and the US.
. For more information, visit www.theiet.org.

Media enquiries to:
Robert Beahan, Press Officer
T: +44 (0)1438 767336
M: +44 (0)7595 400912
E: rbeahan@theiet.org