A team of Mott MacDonald Bentley (MMB) colleagues took part in the Engineering Education Scheme Wales (EESW) Project again this year, partnering with 6th Form students to set them a real life engineering design task.
Aimed at promoting STEM, the EESW project sees engineering businesses partner with a team of 6th Form students from local schools and colleges to set them a project brief related to a real problem facing the company. During the project, students research and design a solution to produce a final proposal, model or working prototype. Students then present their designs to a panel of assessors for a chance to win one of four awards for: Best Use of STEM, Best Written Proposal, Best Application of Engineering and Technology and Best Use of Mechanical Engineering Principles.
MMB have been involved in the EESW project since 2016. This year, our team comprising of Prys Roberts, Prithula Roy Choudhury and Evan Lewis, partnered with two teams of 6th Form students from Ysgol Dyffryn Conwy and set them a project brief to design sustainable site cabins.
Evan Lewis, one of MMB’s Civil Engineers supporting the project said:
“The students were asked to develop methods of making an often repeated design such as the installation of a site set up more sustainable, an incentive aligned with the UKs move to carbon zero. This reinforced the critical role engineers have to play in the battle against climate change and illustrated an opportunity for how they might play their small part.”
After an initial presentation at the school to set the brief, the students set out to investigate the problem and come up with different solutions – with the MMB team on hand to answer any queries throughout.
Both student teams delivered great solutions by investigating the existing technology, coming up with innovative solutions and considering a wide range of impacts. Their efforts saw each receive an award – one for Best Use of STEM for Sustainability and the Environment and the other for Best Overall Written Report – aswell as a cash prize of £500, awarded at the EESW presentation day earlier this year.
MMB’s involvement in the EESW project is not only a chance to promote STEM but provides a platform to showcase careers in engineering and the important role of engineers.
Pictured: MMB at a previous STEM event
“Through STEM activities, young people are educated on the important role engineers play in facilitating a healthy society whether being through the construction of critical infrastructure, the supply of clean drinking water or the treatment of waste. They also get to understand the potentially rewarding nature of the career through exposure to problem solving activities and seeing their designs evolve from an idea into being.” (Evan Lewis, Civil Engineer, MMB).
Prys Roberts (Project Lead), part of the MMB team supporting the project said:
“Being involved in STEM schemes, such as EESW, allows us to provide opportunities to the generation of future engineers to see a glimpse of what we do on a day-to-day.
“Getting the students involved in a project to tackle and explore real issues is more engaging and gives a different perspective from sitting in a classroom, which we hope will ignite an interest in STEM subjects.”
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Find out more about the EESW project here.
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