Engineering Education Scheme (EES) event mark young people as future Science & Engineering stars

Students from 64 schools in the Midlands region marked themselves as Science and Engineering stars of the future at the prestigious Engineering Education Scheme (EES) event at Cranmore Park on Thursday 30 April 2015. The event featured keynote speaker, Lord Digby Jones, Midlands business and politics figure.

The UK leading programme identifies young science and engineering talent among 16 -17 year olds. The Engineering Education Scheme (EES), allows young people to work for six months on a real commercial project with a local company. The scheme is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year, a longevity which demonstrates its successful format.

The students also took part in a residential workshop at leading universities, where they had the opportunity to taste university life and build prototypes using the universities facilities. In the Midlands the partner universities were: University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University and Loughborough University.

 Dr Richard Hood and Carl Hingley (School of Mechanical Engineering) from the University of Birmingham mentored a team during the residential workshop from Kings Norton Boys School.  

 Additionally, Carl Hingley received a Long Service and Outstanding Contribution Award presented by Lord Digby Jones.

Geoff Jellis, Director for the Midlands said:

The fact that EES has been so successful over 30 years in developing talented scientists and engineers who go on to fulfilling careers in these sectors shows what a valuable start these young people are getting to their own careers. Over 30 years more than 30,000 young people have successfully graduated from EES and research suggests that over 90% of EES students go on the science, technology, engineering or maths degrees and 77% of them start careers in these sectors.

Notes:

• EES is the longest running business/education programme in the UK Engineering sector and offers a ‘real life’ 6 month science, engineering or technology project, working with a local employer, to teams of young people aged 16-17. The project tackles a real issue for the employer, which provides mentor support to the project team, and enables the young people to develop their skills in project management, report writing, team work and many other employability skills.
• The project also helps raise awareness of related careers and helps to inform further education and career choices, as well as helping employers contribute to the national skills pool in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and develop their own future talent pipeline. The project is run by the education charity EDT which arranges STEM experience activities for over 20,000 young people a year through a range of different programmes.
• The EDT is a nationwide education charity and the leading organisation working to inspire young people into careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) through business/education links. Having worked in this area for 25 years and having national reach, EDT is expert in encouraging young people to focus on the opportunities that STEM careers can offer. EDT Programmes include First Edition, Go4SET, Open Industry, Engineering Education Scheme, Headstart, The Year in Industry and Industrial Cadets.
• For more information, please visit www.etrust.org.uk