At Shottery there are many extra-curricular activities open to sixth-formers. These aim to broaden our education and development beyond the subject areas we choose to study. One of the options available is the Engineering Education Scheme, organised by the Royal Academy of Engineering. This is a national scheme, run annually in seven regions. Please click on the link below for general information about the scheme.

http://www.engineering-education.org.uk/

The scheme has many purposes. One of the key aims is to open up the world of engineering to young people so that they gain a much deeper understanding of what it would be like to become a professional engineer. To this end, the scheme is structured to take students through a problem-solving procedure, during which they experience very many of the working practices of the professionals.


Requirements to participate in the EES:

	You must be a Year 12 student with a keen interest in finding out about engineering as a possible career.
	You must be taking Maths AS and preferably at least one Science
	You will have to complete an application form and go through an interview. The scheme may not be suitable for everyone.

This is an opportunity of the very highest calibre for the students selected for the team, and last year (2006/7) the scheme celebrated its 22nd year of operation. Shottery has been represented on the scheme with only one missed year since 1998/9. Our sponsoring companies have included Amec, National Grid and Transco. Our sponsor for the current round of the scheme is to be Severn Trent.

The scheme offers particularly valuable opportunities for those students who are likely to aim for a career in engineering. The Royal Academy of Engineering is fully committed to its education programme of which The Engineering Education Scheme is the first main stage. Following success on the EES, students would more or less be guaranteed a placement in a University Engineering Department for one week at the end of the summer term in Year 12 on the second stage known as Headstart. Following this, students can apply for an engineering “gap” known as Year in Industry. Acceptance onto virtually any Engineering degree course would be more or less certain for students who have participated in one or more aspects of the Academy’s education programmes.

CREST GOLD AWARD AND LEVEL 3 KEY SKILLS

The West Midlands SetPoint organisation, which is also committed to promoting the acquisition of engineering skills in young people, is an awarding body for Crest Awards, the highest of which is gold. The Crest Gold Award is a highly valued qualification of great interest to potential employers and University Departments. Successful participation in the EES automatically qualifies students for the Crest Gold Award. In addition, the work done on the EES qualifies students for A Level 3 certificate in Key Skills. This is all possible because of the many and varied personal qualities and skills which the students will develop, improve and use during the EES.

WHAT THE TEAM OF 2005 HAS TO SAY:

Participating in the scheme involves working in a team of four, with the aim of developing a solution to a problem that the sponsoring company actually has, with the help of professional engineers.

The EES offers an opportunity to experience, at first hand and in some depth, the challenges and excitement of a career in professional engineering.

Known, very originally, as 'The Team' we have been supported by two young engineers from National Grid Transco.

Our task: To design a mechanism to control the varying tension in the electricity cables attached to main pylons.

The EES involves many trips out of school, such as visits to the sponsor company, attending the launch day and the Celebration and Assessment Presentation Day, which is held at the NEC. It also allows us to experience a little of the life led by undergraduate engineers, and to meet their tutors. This happened at a one-week residential workshop, held just before Christmas at Birmingham University, where we made our prototypes.

We would recommend participating in the EES to anyone who is interested in science, ready to tackle a challenge and brave enough to see things from a different angle. It’s great fun, you get free food and the feelings of success and satisfaction are immense!

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