Primary and secondary school students from Healing are being given a taste of a career in engineering, thanks to an innovative education project.
Healing School and Healing Primary School are taking part in Project Blyth, a Humber-wide initiative that sees teams of young people build an electric kit car, which will be raced at an event on Sunday 16th July at the KCOM Stadium in Hull.
The schools are working in partnership with local companies and organisations including Associated British Ports (ABP), EoN, HCF CATCH, On Line Design and Siemens who are providing advice and guidance, from project management, PR and marketing, to CADCAM and technical skills.
Healing School’s single-seat IET Formula 24 + car, and Healing Primary School’s Goblin car, have been supplied by Greenpower Education Trust, a charity that inspires young people to think about engineering as a career.
Sam Horner, Assistant Principal at Healing School Science Academy, explains:
“When we launched Project Blyth in assemblies back in September, we asked interested students to apply to be on the team, to give them experience in writing an application for a role. What we didn’t expect is to be inundated with 72 great candidates, which was incredible. As a result, we’ve had to appoint team leaders and create smaller teams to work in stages on the car.
“The great thing about Project Blyth is that there is something for everyone to do. We have local firm Online Design helping with CAD, Siemens has assisted in creating an App to monitor progress and we have HCF CATCH providing a workshop for the car and supporting our young marketeers. Our English department is also helping out, as we have budding bloggers and journalists reporting on the project. The breadth of roles has attracted female students to the project too, who now form half of our team.
“The feedback has been excellent from all involved. Not only are they building skills in areas wider than engineering, but they are interacting with the companies that could go on to employ them in the future. The students are also supporting younger pupils in our local primary school with their car, which helps them make that transition when it comes to moving up to secondary school.”
Student Kieran McCarney, 15, from Immingham, has secured a work experience placement at Online Design as a result of Project Blyth. He commented:
“Many of my fellow students are still not sure what they want to do following GCSEs next year, but I know I want to be an engineering apprentice. Project Blyth is ideal for me. I race karts in my spare time, so it brings together a hobby I love with mechanical skills that will make me a stronger candidate for an apprenticeship.
“Project Blyth has also helped us all get a taste of what a career in the sector is like. We were all given a CAD session, which gave us insight and understanding into design. Through that, I was offered a work placement with On Line Design this summer. I can’t wait to learn more and get that experience on my CV.”
For more information on Project Blyth, visit www.projectblyth.co.uk
