On the 12 Feb the first group of inspiring young people met for the first time to begin their three-year, fully funded Academy program! Meeting at a university in the City Centre, the students brought with them ideas and aspirations for their passion in future engineering careers.
In their first two workshops, they were given challenges that required research, design, building, and showcasing. The first design challenge, called ‘Get the Salt Out,’ shared knowledge of water distribution including interesting facts of water use in the world and its impact on the environment.
Students formed groups between 5-6 members and worked through tasks, learning about their own abilities and growing as a team, whilst designing ideas and creating fantastic prototypes to test against the challenge set.
Engineers joined the day and not only supported but challenged ideas to get the best engineering design from the students. These engineers were part of GE and brought with them highly reputable and valuable knowledge to the workshops.
Expert engineer and career professional guest speakers also attended the workshops to share their career paths, highlighting skills and mindsets that are vital for workplace readiness.
On the 5 March it was time to test the designs made and to reflect on the final outcome. The prototype building produced diverse results, all of which created opportunities for students to grow and succeed in their future practices. They’re on the pathway to becoming engineers!
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Take a listen to the students and a GE volunteer as they share what they thought of the workshops so far!
The Academy will be taking a new group at the end of 2022, so if you are interested, please fill out this form!
