Slough: SEGRO helps children aspire to a career in engineering

On January 26 almost 70 pupils from Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy in Slough took part in an engineering challenge set by SEGRO and Osborne Engineering as part of the drive to raise the awareness and interest of science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) among school students.

Eleven teams of year-seven pupils spent a day with industry professionals from SEGRO and Osborne Engineering, seeing how STEM plays a part in everyday life as well as hearing first-hand accounts of what it is like to work in the engineering industry.  They were joined by TV presenter and populariser of maths Johnny Ball, who is also a patron of the newly-formed academy.

The students visited the Slough Trading Estate to see the size and scale of the 518 tonne bridge, currently under construction, before going to Slough Aspire Centre. There, they learned how structures, like roads and bridges, are designed and constructed before being set the challenge to design and create their own. Their tasks was to construct a structure that would bear the greatest weight and also the most aesthetically designed.

Paul Lewis, regional director for SEGRO in the Thames Valley, said: “The project with Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy created a unique and practical learning day and is part of our ongoing commitment, through Slough Aspire, to help young people gain vital skills and prepare them for the world of work. It was great for them to see engineering in action in the building of the bridge which is part of our ongoing regeneration of the Trading Estate.”