50 Students Enjoy BAE Systems Engineering Experience with The Smallpeice Trust

Leamington Spa, United Kingdom, July 25, 2013 --(PR.com)-- From 15th to 18th July, fifty promising 12 and 13 year olds from across the UK benefited from a unique hands-on learning experience at Lancaster University. This four-day residential programme was organised by The Smallpeice Trust and sponsored by BAE Systems to engage students and provide them with the opportunity to learn about engineering through a series of presentations and practical hands-on workshops.

Working in teams, they spent two days of the course tackling ‘real-life’ challenges on projects designed and facilitated by young role model engineers from various divisions of BAE Systems. Students were tasked with designing, building and testing a remote controlled engineering vehicle capable of negotiating various types of terrain whilst searching out objects to complete a mission. This gave them first-hand experience of how some of the most advanced engineering projects are developed.

As well as working on the design, build and test elements of these projects, they developed life skills such as teamwork, communication, problem solving, time management, finance and presentation. Students also benefited from careers talks which gave them some inspiration about where a career in the engineering industry could take them.

Claire Fisher, Marketing Officer from the Trust commented, “With the continued generous financial support from BAE Systems, we have been able to run this short taster course to inspire the next generation of engineers. It is only through practical engineering activities like this that young people will be encouraged to enter the profession and be equipped to meet the social, environmental and economic challenges of the future.”

Richard Hamer, Education Director & Head of Early Career Programmes added, ''Ensuring the Company has the right supply and quality of skilled people it will need in the future is vitally important. That is why it is so important that BAE Systems should work now with schools and young people. Our partnership with The Smallpeice Trust enables us to reach out successfully to young people and inspire them about careers in engineering. It is fantastic that through our partnership, and the creative energy and technical skills of our graduates and apprentices involved, we can provide young people with the practical hands on experience of engineering that will help inspire them to choose engineering as a career."

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 BAE Systems 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, 20,353 students have attended a Smallpeice activity in the past year.

The new course timetable for 2014 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.

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 12 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 20,353 young people through 33 different subsidised residential courses, 1-day in-school STEM Days and STEM-in-a-Box kits. The Smallpeice Trust has also trained 913 teachers to enhance their delivery of STEM in the classroom.