Budding Engineers Get Revved Up By The Advanced Propulsion Centre

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 - 15:45
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APC in schools

The Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) hopes to inspire a future generation of engineers by working with Greenpower. Seven schools across the UK will be given the opportunity to build and race their own electric vehicles thanks to support from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), APC and APC Spoke Community.

Youngsters across the UK will be given the opportunity to get a taste of what a career in engineering is really like.

The Greenpower Education Trust looks to address the skills gap that is growing in the UK automotive industry by engaging students in engineering at a young age. Students aged 9 to 11 will be given their own electric kit cars to design, build and race – guided by their teachers and industry mentors.

The seven schools and their sponsors are as follows:

Aston-on-Trent Primary School – Loughborough University
Bourmoor Primary School – University of Newcastle
Broad Heath Primary School – The Advanced Propulsion Centre
Elwick Primary School – University of Newcastle/University of Nottingham
Howes Primary School – WMG, University of Warwick
Round Hill Primary School – University of Nottingham
Somervale School – University of Bath

In addition, the University of Brighton has an existing STEM programme, involving local children from Widening Participation backgrounds in the build of their own Formula 24 Greenpower kit car through a Saturday Club.

The APC Spokes are academic centres of excellence that focus on key technology areas in the automotive industry. Their purpose is to support collaboration between academia and industry. Each of these have joined the APC in sponsoring a primary school to encourage the youngsters to start thinking about a future in engineering.

Chris Baylis, Chairman of Greenpower was excited to hear of the APC’s co-ordination of this project:

“Greenpower Education Trust is thrilled that the APC UK has given schools from across the UK the chance to win Goblin Kit Cars. The winning schools will be working with local universities during the project, which we at Greenpower believe is a fantastic opportunity for children at such a young age to start to develop their skills in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) whilst linking with higher education and an amazing organisation such as APC, who are also driving change for future generations.”

Ian Constance, CEO of the APC is equally pleased to support this programme:

“We are delighted to be able to give young minds the chance to see the exciting opportunities available in engineering. We hope that through the Greenpower competition the students will engage in creative problem solving and to develop the next generation of technologies. I am also pleased to have the full support and engagement of the APC’s Spokes in this, who have allowed us to support a range of schools across the UK.”

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