Engineering Education Scheme
Encyclopedia
The Engineering Education Scheme is a scheme run in the United Kingdom
by the Engineering Development Trust
to promote the education of school students about engineering
. It is part of the Royal Academy of Engineering
's BEST programme.
The Engineering Education Scheme is an annual event which can run for over a year after the start. It begins with a launch day in September or October which are held in regional batches. By this point the schools will have selected their team(s) (normally made up of 4 students) who will take part. At the launch the team is put together with their company (for example Kodak or Ford
, however one of the largest contributors is the Royal Navy
) and their company gives them a real life challenge that they would otherwise be working on. They are also given presentations by the scheme's organisers as to exactly what they need to do. For the next 6 months the team work on the project. They get help from their teachers as well as visits from engineers from their companies who discuss their ideas with them. They may also visit the factory of their company. At the start of January the team will spend 3 days at a University
having lectures from engineering professors and using the facilities to test their designs.
The scheme finishes at a 'Celebration and Assessment Day' where the teams show off their completed design at a stand along with their report which is usually about 40-80 pages long. They also give a presentation to the assessors. Often their design is actually used by the company who gave it to them. At the end of the event they are awarded a bronze
, silver
, gold
or platinum
award for their efforts. The platinum award is especially prestigious as it is awarded very infrequently. Students involved in the award often go on to read engineering at University, and the scheme is often a factor contributing to successful entry; due to the level of difficulty its completion is highly regarded by admissions tutors.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
by the Engineering Development Trust
Engineering Development Trust
The Engineering Development Trust is a UK not for shareholder profit organisation, which administers a number of schemes designed to encourage school pupils to have an interest and involvement in science and engineering...
to promote the education of school students about engineering
Engineering
Engineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
. It is part of the Royal Academy of Engineering
Royal Academy of Engineering
-Overview: is the UK’s national academy of engineering. The Academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering....
's BEST programme.
The Engineering Education Scheme is an annual event which can run for over a year after the start. It begins with a launch day in September or October which are held in regional batches. By this point the schools will have selected their team(s) (normally made up of 4 students) who will take part. At the launch the team is put together with their company (for example Kodak or Ford
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
, however one of the largest contributors is the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
) and their company gives them a real life challenge that they would otherwise be working on. They are also given presentations by the scheme's organisers as to exactly what they need to do. For the next 6 months the team work on the project. They get help from their teachers as well as visits from engineers from their companies who discuss their ideas with them. They may also visit the factory of their company. At the start of January the team will spend 3 days at a University
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
having lectures from engineering professors and using the facilities to test their designs.
The scheme finishes at a 'Celebration and Assessment Day' where the teams show off their completed design at a stand along with their report which is usually about 40-80 pages long. They also give a presentation to the assessors. Often their design is actually used by the company who gave it to them. At the end of the event they are awarded a bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
, silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
or platinum
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...
award for their efforts. The platinum award is especially prestigious as it is awarded very infrequently. Students involved in the award often go on to read engineering at University, and the scheme is often a factor contributing to successful entry; due to the level of difficulty its completion is highly regarded by admissions tutors.
Actual Examples of Projects
- "Design a bridge"
- "Design a machine for rolling protective plastic over photographic film"
- "Investigate and cost energy sources, including renewable for a new factory"
- "Design and build a prototype of a device to measure the draughtDraft (hull)The draft of a ship's hull is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull , with the thickness of the hull included; in the case of not being included the draft outline would be obtained...
of a submarine" - "Design a wind turbine."
External links
- Engineering Education Scheme website
- Engineering Development Trust website
- Royal Academy of Engineering's BEST Programme website