80 Students Enjoy Engineering Experience with the Smallpeice Trust

Leamington Spa, United Kingdom, May 03, 2012 --(PR.com)-- From 2nd to 4th April, eighty 13 and 14 year olds from across the UK benefited from a unique hands-on learning experience at the University of Nottingham. This three-day residential programme was organised by The Smallpeice Trust and sponsored by GP Strategies to engage students and provide them with the opportunity to learn about engineering through a series of presentations and practical hands-on workshops.

In small teams, the students worked on "real-life" challenges run by role model engineers from Arup, Jaguar Land Rover, Rolls-Royce and the Royal Navy. Students were guided through all stages of product development, from initial concepts to final testing. Projects included designing and building a water harvesting and shelter system, a 4x4 vehicle, a war ship and wind turbine against certain criteria. Students were also confronted with real-life issues including the need to work within a budget and make the project commercially viable.

Shay Moran, Vice President GP Strategies UK commented, “This exciting programme of activity and learning will provide an inspirational introduction to the opportunities of ‘engineering in action’. It is our pleasure to support this important mission, which The Smallpeice Trust delivers so effectively by providing these high impact and fun learning events”.

Dr Andrew Cave, Chief Executive from The Smallpeice Trust added, “We are delighted that with the support from GP Strategies, we have been able to give these budding engineers an opportunity to learn all about what a career in engineering could be like. Judging by their dedication and enthusiasm to their projects I am sure the students are now in a much better position to make clear and sensible career choices.”

All Smallpeice courses are linked to the National Curriculum and are designed to improve core skills such as team building, financial management, communication and problem solving. By attending one of our courses students will gain experience of university and working life that will accelerate their personal development and their potential for greater academic achievement.

The Smallpeice Trust Engineering Experience course is part of an ongoing programme of subsidised residential courses to help young people aged 13 to 18 develop skills in engineering, design, technology and manufacturing.

Founded by Dr Cosby Smallpeice in 1966, The Trust has grown tremendously over the past 46 years, helping thousands of young people find a successful career in a multitude of disciplines within the industry from engineering materials, marine technology and naval architecture to nanotechnology and structural engineering. Through running residential courses and STEM enrichment days, 18,175 students have attended a Smallpeice activity in the past year.

Bookings are now being taken for summer residential courses. Visit www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk or telephone 01926 333200 for further details.

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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 the past academic year, The Smallpeice Trust has reached out to 18,175 young people through 37 different subsidised 4-day residential courses and 1-day in-school STEM Days. The Smallpeice Trust has also trained 674 teachers to enhance their delivery of STEM in the classroom.

A strong interface is maintained with industry, education and professional bodies that help to support, promote and develop the courses. Through these relationships the Trust is also able to provide a number of tailored or specialised courses.

About GP Strategies:

GP Strategies Corporation is a global performance improvement solutions provider of sales and technical training, eLearning solutions, management consulting and engineering services. GP Strategies’ solutions improve the effectiveness of organizations by delivering innovative and superior training, consulting and business improvement services, customized to meet the specific needs of its clients. Clients include Fortune 500 companies, manufacturing, process and energy industries, and other commercial and government customers. GP Strategies Corporation is the new name of General Physics Corporation, which merged with its parent company (also called GP Strategies) on December 31, 2011 and changed its name. Additional information may be found at www.gpstrategies.com.