February 2009
Halcrow is encouraging young people to consider careers in the industry as part of the Go4SET programme. Run in conjunction with the Engineering Development Trust (EDT), Go4SET aims to bring science and engineering alive to S2 (12 to 13 year old) students in Scotland.
As part of a ten week course, Halcrow staff will work closely with pupils from two Glasgow schools, Trinity High School in Renfrew and Smithycroft Secondary School in Riddrie. Additionally, Edinburgh’s, Tynecastle High School, will also be involved with the project to design an eco-friendly hotel.
the work pupils will visit several work sites with Halcrow. They have already spent the day in Halcrow’s Glasgow and Edinburgh offices testing engineering principles by building wooden bridges and discovering what the company is doing to improve its own sustainability and reduce its carbon footprint.
Halcrow’s mentors are Principle Safety Engineer, Alan Ruiz, Operations Engineer, Paul Reid and Water Engineer, Ruth Ellis. Alan signed up as an engineering ambassador with the EDT, two years ago after being surprised by how few school pupils could name a famous engineer.
Alan explained:
“I was working on another project when I got the opportunity to speak to some students about engineering and I was shocked to discover not one had considered a career in engineering. Given the tradition of producing skilled engineers in Scotland I wanted to do something about this and signed up to become an ambassador.
“The feedback we have had from these sessions is excellent, it makes a real difference for the pupils to get out of the classroom and bring the theory to life. It also lets them see what possibilities lay before them if they focus on their science and mathematics.”
Over the next few weeks the pupils will accompany Alan and Paul on various site visits. Both Scottish Power and British Energy have kindly agreed to co-ordinate tours around the wind farm at Eaglesham Moor and Hunterston B nuclear power station respectively. It is hoped that the opportunity to see various means of low carbon and sustainable electricity generation will open the pupils eyes to science, technology and engineering.
Linda McCusker a teacher at Smithycroft Secondary School said:
“The children have been tasked to design an eco friendly hotel using an innovative power solution. Halcrow and their partners are not only enabling us to talk about different methods of generating power but also allowing the children to see it in action, which really brings the work to life.”
The pupils of Trinity High school Renfrew are also enjoying the research aspect of the Go4SET project.
Chemistry teacher Caroline McGeough said:
“Working with the Halcrow company mentor has enabled pupils to understand the different types of energy sources and their environmental effects. Pupils will be given the opportunity to visit a nuclear power station and a wind farm to give them ideas for the design of their own eco friendly hotel. The project has allowed the pupils to have a better understanding of the world around them, as well as a taster of engineering”.
Duncan McSporran, EDT Scotland Director, said:
“GO4SET is the first building block of the EDT pathway of programmes. It provides the opportunity for students to enhance their knowledge of engineering and our global environment. By supporting school teams, innovative and far sighted companies like Halcrow really give students a fantastic focussed experience and an insight into industry”.
The students will present models of their hotel design complete with a report to explain the steps they have taken to reduce the carbon footprint of the business to judges and guests on Tuesday 24 February in the Edinburgh Celebration and Assessment Day (CAD) and on Monday 2 March in the Glasgow Celebration and Assessment Day (CAD).