Budding Engineers Take Part in Engineering Experience

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From 12th to 15th July 2011, budding young engineers from across the UK benefited from a unique hands-on learning experience at Harper Adams University College in Shropshire. The four-day residential programme was organised by The Smallpeice Trust to engage students and provide them with the opportunity to learn about engineering through a series of presentations and practical workshops.

In teams, the students worked on ‘real-life’ challenges organised by BMW, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars and the Royal Navy. The challenges included designing and building an electric powered vehicle and an airboat challenge. They also attended presentations delivered by the facilitating companies, as well as Jaguar Land Rover, giving them an insight into careers in different engineering industries.

As well as working on the design, build and test elements of the projects, the students developed life skills such as team work, communication, problem solving, time management, finance and presentations. The social programme included a film night, sports activities and a formal dinner and disco.

Spokesperson Hayley Threadgold from The Trust commented “The feedback from the pupils involved has been excellent and we hope this experience will have encouraged them to take up engineering as a future career.”

The Engineering Experience course is run by independent charity, The Smallpeice Trust, and is part of an on-going programme of residential courses to help young people aged 13 to 18 learn and develop skills in engineering, design, technology and manufacturing. Through running residential courses and STEM enrichment days, The Trust has reached out to 17,677 students across the UK in the past year.

The new course timetable for 2012 will be launched in the autumn school term. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis. To find out more, visit www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk, or telephone The Smallpeice Trust on 01926 333200.

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About The Smallpeice Trust:

The Smallpeice Trust is an independent charitable trust which promotes engineering as a career, primarily through the provision of residential courses for young people aged 13 to 18.

The Smallpeice Trust was founded in 1966 by Dr Cosby Smallpeice, a pioneering engineer and inventor of the Smallpeice Lathe. Following the stock market flotation of his company Martonair, Dr Smallpeice invested his energy and part of his personal fortune to set up the Trust to ensure that British industry could continuously benefit from his proven design and engineering philosophies: “Simplicity in design, economy in production.”

The Trust is now governed by an eminent board of non-executive trustees and members from a diverse range of engineering, industry, educational and professional bodies. In 2009/10, The Smallpeice Trust ran 30 residential courses for 1,700 school-aged students at universities across the country, with girls accounting for 38%. In addition, 15,977 students attended a Smallpeice in-school STEM masterclass.

Contacts:

Gemma Murphy
Head of Marketing and Development
Tel: 01926 333214
Fax: 01926 333202
Email: [email protected]

Claire Fisher
Marketing Support Officer
Tel: 01926 333203
Fax: 01926 333202
Email: [email protected]

The Smallpeice Trust is a company limited by guarantee, registered in England.
Company number 00882371.
Registered office: Holly House, 74 Upper Holly Walk, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire CV32 4JL. Registered Charity number 313719.

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