The Smallpeice Trust is looking for students from Years 9 to 12 to sign up to heavily subsidised residential courses. One of the largest courses is the Year 9 Engineering experience course which takes place at 4 locations including University of Portsmouth. This ‘foundation course’ is perfect for those who just want to find out a bit more about engineering in general or are unsure what a career in engineering actually entails. Students will have the opportunity to work alongside young engineers, who will guide them through every stage of product development, from initial concepts to final testing. Previous years’ students have been lucky enough to work with engineers from ARUP, RAF, Rolls-Royce, Royal Engineers, The Home Office Scientific Branch and United Utilities. Just some of the projects from last year include developing a robotic security device to protect the crown jewels, designing and building a life-size obstruction course which will deliver a marble to its destination and constructing a civilian bridge with intricate details and accuracy in measurement. Groups of up to 10 students from the same school can attend this course.
The courses are heavily subsidised by around 75% and the cost to student is £95 which includes all accommodation (4 days), board, course materials and social activities. If you are a teacher and want to come along too, you will also be paid £240 in gift vouchers as a thank you! Call 01926 333200 or visit www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk for more details.
For a specific course leaflet, click here
Engineering experience - This foundation course is held at 4 venues across the country (Lancaster, Newport, Portsmouth and York). It teams Year 9 pupils with young engineers, hand-picked from industry, who mentor students through every stage of product development, from initial concept to final testing. Just some of the projects from last year include developing a robotic security device to protect the crown jewels and constructing a civilian bridge with intricate details and accuracy in measurement.
Electronics - On this Year 10 course in Newport, students will learn about the role of analogue and digital electronics and how to apply them. They will design and build a buggy using sensors and remote controls to negotiate a circuit in a race against time.
Marine technology - These Year 9 and Year 10 courses at Glasgow and Southampton involve young people in designing and building actual vessels and learning about exciting areas like naval architecture, ship design and offshore construction. There’s also a series of hands-on workshops, visits to local businesses plus access to the latest equipment.
Materials technology - This Year 10 course is offered in 3 different venues (Cambridge, Oxford and Manchester) and gives students the opportunity to learn the art of materials selection, combination and optimum use in materials technology across a range of engineering applications.
Sustainable energy - On this Year 11 course at Newcastle University, students will learn about the different forms of energy in the environment including wind, waves and tide. They will use state-of-the-art research facilities including wave tanks, wind-wave current tanks and circulating water tanks to conduct tests and experiments.
Mining & minerals - Open to Year 11 and Year 12 students, and taking place at 2 venues (Exeter and Leeds), students will get hands-on experience of handling materials, learning how they are refined and processed. They’ll also be visits to local quarries to see first-hand a mining operation in action.
Supercomputing in engineering - Working with Microsoft Research and the University of Southampton, this Year 12 course centres around students building a supercomputer from scratch. They will use it to design their own futuristic environmentally-friendly airliner before taking the controls of a state-of-the-art flight simulator.
In addition, there is a fully supervised programme of evening-based social activities ranging from go-karting, laser quest and bowling. The final evening usually culminates in a formal dinner and disco to celebrate the achievements of the course before saying goodbye to new friends the following day.
Prices start from £25 for 4 days, full board, all course materials and social activities.
Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.
To download a calendar of the courses, click here
For more information visit www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk
