Student challenge

Budding engineers from 210 schools across the UK are taking part in Engineering and Technology’s (IET) Faraday engineering challenge days, where they’ll be set a series of tough engineering challenges.

The IET Faraday engineering challenge days aim to encourage pupils to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM), and will kick off on 17 November and run for 35 ‘challenge’ days.

Aspiring engineers will be set tasks involving researching, designing and making solutions to some difficult engineering problems, under the theme of Urban Evolution – an exploration into sustainable technologies that will support urban living.

From each of the 210 schools taking part in the event, six teams of six, aged 12 to 13, will be involved in the 35 challenge days. Three of those teams will then be selected to go on to the UK final at The Big Bang in Manchester in March 2010.

The IET’s head of education 5-19, Gareth James said, “The Faraday programme is all about inspiring and attracting tomorrow’s engineers.  Engineering is often seen as an invisible industry amongst young people.  They also have preconceived ideas about what engineers look like and the jobs they do.

“Through these challenge days and the entire Faraday programme we aim to encourage more young people to study STEM subjects and consider engineering as a possible career path.

“The young people attending the challenge days will experience hands-on, practical events to challenge their perceptions, and make them realise that engineering is an exciting, rewarding career path.”

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