Universities and businesses aim to show teenagers engineering is cool

ACADEMIC organisations and private businesses are collaborating on a new venture designed to show hundreds of teenagers across Coventry and Warwickshire that careers in science, technology and manufacturing are cool.

The University of Warwick, WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group), leading app design company Agant, Atkins, Cummins, Birmingham Metropolitan College, Cranfield and De Montfort University are being joined by Atkins Global, BBC R&D, BT, Blackberry (RIM), GE Healthcare, Google, JVC, Raspberry Pi Foundation, Samsung and QMUL for the launch of TeenTech.

TeenTech is an award winning, industry-led initiative, co-founded by former Tomorrow’s World presenter Maggie Philbin and Chris Dodson, chairman of the Institute of Directors (South). They have collaborated with technology companies and education, business and professional organisations to create an immersive, interactive event that is now going nationwide.

TeenTech in Coventry and Warwickshire kicks off at The Ricoh Stadium in Coventry on October 19. Around 300 teenagers from across the area have been invited to participate in the event.

Students will spend a day doing ‘hands on’ experiments and challenges with over 120 engineers and scientists from the various companies represented. They will be aiming to show the teenagers that acquiring the right skills can be the key to an interesting and well-paid future.

Research from previous events has shown that teenagers can refocus their thinking about what subjects they should take and to consider career paths they never knew existed. Of those taking part in previous events, more than two-thirds have said they would now consider careers as engineers or technologists.

“We are indebted to the University of Warwick and the enthusiasm of all our participating companies who invest time and talent into developing outstanding activities which capture the essence of their industries. They are taking a long term approach and working together to inspire tomorrow’s workforce,” said Ms Philbin.

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