Member Article

National Women in Engineering Day encourages Tees students

Students from across Middlesbrough have been celebrating National Women in Engineering Day.

The day was dedicated to raising the profile and celebrating the achievements of women in engineering.

Pupils aged 11 to 16 joined the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE) and Northern Architecture at Middlesbrough College’s Engineering Department to build bridges as part of the celebrations.

They took part in a fun-filled day of practical activities to highlight the benefits of engineering to society as part of ‘Engineering Education’ - a Northern Architecture project funded by Heritage Lottery Fund and the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Using the region’s rich industrial and bridge-building heritage as a backdrop, young people were able to develop new skills through hands-on design, construction and testing activities.

ICE North East’s Bridges to Schools project teaches youngsters about bridge construction, teamwork and civil engineering incorporating maths, science and design and technology to assemble its 13-metre scaled model cable-stayed bridge.

Led by a team of female engineers, pupils were given an exciting insight into civil engineering, and provided direct contact with professionals who can help them to understand more about the careers available.

Zoe Lewis, Principal and Chief Executive of Middlesbrough College, said: “Middlesbrough College is always looking for new ways to encourage more females to consider a future in Engineering so we were thrilled to host the event.”

Penny Marshall, ICE North East regional director, added: “Encouraging young people to look at civil engineering as a possible career is a key role of the Institution of Civil Engineers.

“These activities have helped us to inspire students by highlighting possible career paths and demonstrating that engineering is a great choice for girls, with an exciting future, and amazing opportunities.”

Middlesbrough College delivers a wide range of engineering courses across all levels including HNDs and HNCs in electrical and electronic engineering, electromechanical engineering (renewable energy systems), instrumentation and control engineering, mechanical engineering and plant and process engineering.

Many of the courses will soon be delivered in a £12m state-of-the-art STEM Centre of Excellence (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).

The Centre of Excellence will give students a head start in the jobs race and help meet the needs of employers across the country - providing training in advanced manufacturing, process, engineering disciplines, digital, warehousing and logistics.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Martin Walker .