Top names in motorsport promote engineering at Birmingham City University

Birmingham City University is responding to an urgent call for more engineers to drive forward the British economy after hosting a masterclass for students considering a career in high performance automotive engineering.

Representatives from well-known motorsports teams such as Caterham F1 and Arden Motorsports teamed up with Birmingham City University at their Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment on Wednesday 9 January to offer college students the opportunity to learn more about automotive engineering and the high performance motorsports industries.

The event followed a report recently published by EngineeringUK, which highlights the need for the UK to double the current number of annual recruits into engineering by 2020 to meet expected demand.

Professor Adrian Cole from the University’s Faculty of Technology, Engineering and the Environment, said: “The sooner we can engage with the younger generation and let them know about the excitement and challenges of a career in automotive engineering, the more likely we are to address the shortfall identified by EngineeringUK.”

The event attracted over 200 school and college students from across the West Midlands, with a number of institutions expressing interest in attending a follow-up event planned for April 2013.