News & Media > Community Investment
09:02:2012
MGWSP mentors will challenge Corby students
The Engineering Education Scheme in England & Scotland links teams of four Year 12 or S5/S6 students and their teacher with local companies to work on real, scientific, engineering and technological problems. The scheme provides students with an in-depth experience in science, engineering and technology that will enable them to make an informed decision about their future studies and career.
The two MGWSP mentors, Andrew Avallone and Shane Collins, have tasked the four Brooke Weston students with identifying and solving transport problems around their school, and the solution they develop will be the basis of a real-life highways project which will be funded out of the Safer Routes to School budget.
Andrew Avallone, MGWSP's CDM (construction design and management regulations) manager, said: “We will be introducing the students to the concept of problem solving and planning, identifying and understanding the task and mapping out key milestones that have to be met.
“We will also show them research techniques, report writing and communication skills. The students will see how to measure and build up a scheme and the costs behind it.”
The Engineering Education Scheme extends to more than 100 hours and at the end participants file a detailed report and present their completed project to industry experts at a special celebration day in April. Successful students may also be eligible for the CREST Gold Award which recognises engineering success.
Nigel Barrett, design technology teacher at Brooke Weston, said: “This will be a really interesting project with lots of different aspects for our students to explore. We are looking forward to working with MGWSP because they bring a wealth of engineering knowledge.”
*Footnote: MGWSP, a partnership between May Gurney and WSP, is responsible for maintaining highways and footpaths across Northamptonshire, working under a long-term contract on behalf of Northamptonshire County Council.
