Energy, Environment and Sustainability Group
In the year 2014 Primary Engineer, with the support of the IMechE, engaged over 33,000 pupils with engineering as part of their curriculum experience. This, almost 95% increase on last year has been due to both the vast majority of schools using the programme with more than two year groups (frequently with every year group in the school), and the extraordinary success of the Scottish Engineering Special Leaders Award.
In order to engage 33,000 pupils they worked with 597 schools, 994 teachers and registered 916 engineers linked to schools. They also ran what must be a world record attempt for teacher training event which was attended by 220 primary teachers in East Ayrshire!
The year has seen a number of significant highlights: the launch of the Institution of Primary Engineers and the Institution of Secondary Engineers at the House of Lords with Baroness Wall of New Barnett; being awarded funding for 3 years from Skills Development Scotland to enable Primary and Secondary Engineer courses to be offered at a Masters level; inclusion in the Scottish Engineering SkillsInvestment Plan; the launch of the 3 year East Ayrshire Primary Engineer Engineering Education Programme; and the development and piloting of Nursery Engineer! Plus two new Advisory board members, Professor John Perkins Former Chief Scientific Advisor to BIS and Mark Crabtree owner of AMS Neve winner of two Oscars, an Emmy and Grammy for their world renown sound recording systems.
Two years ago the EEF Manufacturing Organisation and Regional IMechE Chair Mark Jackson, invited Primary Engineer to engage with schools in the NE region: currently 74 primary schools are engaged in the programme. The North East has now established an industry Steering Group to facilitate both local knowledge and maintaining and increasing the engagement between industry and schools across the region.
Whilst engagement has again seemed to be focused on the North of England and Scotland, pockets around Bristol, Derby, Basildon and Wilmington have remained strong. New enquiries have been received from large areas such as Leeds and Fife, with a view to engaging all local primary schools.
Delivering training courses in industry settings has continued to be a successful feature of the programme, helping to enhance the vision of engineering to teachers already inspired by what they can achieve in the classroom. Recent venues have included GE Wellstream, Nissan, Rolls Royce, MOD Bristol, Siemen’s and Babcock Rosyth where the proximity of the aircraft carriers HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales could not fail to impress even the most reticent teacher.
The Commission for Developing Scotland’s Youth (Wood Report) and its link to the Engineering Skills Investment Plan, of which Primary Engineer is an identified partner organisation, have combined to provide the breadth of Primary Engineer Programmes a growing footfall and significant traction across Scotland.
The stunning success of the Scottish Engineering Special Leaders Award has almost trebled numbers on last year, with a deadline not set until 20th April 2015. Currently there are 8500 primary and secondary pupils registered. All interviewing engineers, identifying problems and designing solutions to them. As this has generated such interest amongst pupils, teachers and engineers it has presented itself as a perfect first step with regards to regional expansion plans. The SE England Special Leaders Award will be offered to schools and engineers through Jim Lockhart, regional IMechE Chairman, and a link to the University of Sussex, and hopefully in the London Region with the IMechE and University College London.
For more information about programmes, activities, regional growth and how to get involved please contact CEO Susan Scurlock: susan.scurlock@primaryengineer.com.
