Institution news
The Great North Engineering Experience looks set to attract a record-breaking 35,000 visitors to this year’s exhibition, which is being held in Newcastle from June to September.
The popular event promotes engineering, with support from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) as a key partner and platinum sponsor.
“Welcoming 35,000 visitors, assuming we achieve it, is at least an order of magnitude bigger than any outreach event we have been involved in before,” says Bowman Bradley, IMechE’s North East Regional Chair. “The exhibition and the lectures have proved to be a great success and is one of the leading attractions associated with the Great Exhibition of the North 2018.”
It's Bowman's belief that by mid-August, 20,000 people, including groups of school children and families, had visited the exhibition. “Pupils are now coming back with their parents in the holidays,” he adds. “One of the highlights are the engineering ‘superheroes’. These showcase famous local engineers and also current engineers who work in the north east.”
Each week, different engineering firms have been showcasing what they do, while engineers from various organisations, like IMechE, volunteer to meet visitors and share with them some of their experiences. Talks and lectures are being held on topics ranging from canal engineering to Formula One racing cars. Information about engineering careers is also available from ‘Tomorrows Engineers’.
Bowman says the event contributes to improving co-operation between local engineering institutions and, by encouraging young people to become engineers, addresses both the aspiration problems in the area and the skills shortage. “Without the involvement and financial support of the IMechE (and the other two major engineering institutions), this would not have happened.”
The Great North Engineering Experience runs to 9 September at the historic headquarters of the North of England Institute of Mining and Mechanical Engineers. It forms part of the Great Exhibition of the North 2018.
For upcoming events and more information, visit the exhibition website.