01709 789 999 Fax - Ptreview

12 P&TR May/June 2012
To change negative perceptions
of engineering, more focus is
needed on primary schools
As a major employer in Llanelli, Schaeffler UK is continually
investing in its people and working closely with the local
community. A key part of this commitment is supporting the
local college in helping to change young peoples’ negative
perceptions of engineering.
“During the last 30 years, we’ve
developed a very close working
partnership with our local college,
Coleg Sir Gar, which has played a
significant role in our successful
engineering apprenticeship schemes
and in helping us to change local
school pupils’ perceptions of
engineering.” says Donna Williams-
Bevan, Training Officer at automotive
component manufacturer Schaeffler
(UK) Ltd. “We view these pupils as
potential future engineers for our
Llanelli plant or as future leaders
of our business. So the time and
resources that we commit every year
will reap their rewards in the long
term.”
Established in 1955, the Schaeffler
plant in Llanelli manufactures high
precision engine components for
the automotive market. The plant
currently employs 250 people and
is an autonomous subsidiary of
the multi-national, German-owned
Schaeffler Group. The plant employs
seven engineering apprentices and
one graduate trainee. Two of the
apprentices work in the toolroom,
the other five in maintenance and
production. In 2011, four new
apprentices were recruited.
Schaeffler’s strong links with Coleg
Sir Gar are vital in maintaining the
plant’s pool of engineering talent,
says Williams-Bevan. Coleg Sir Gar is
one of the largest Further Education
Colleges in Wales, with more than
9,000 students enrolled on various
courses ranging from Mechanical
Engineering to Performing Arts.
Adam Twells, Head of Engineering
at Coleg Sir Gar comments: “The
Engineering School at Coleg Sir Gar
has around 200 full time students
and 300 part time students. The
courses we run include mechanical
and electrical engineering,
electronics, welding, maintenance
and automotive engineering, from
level 1 to Honours Degree. Our
aim is to provide engineering
courses and apprenticeship training
that matches the needs of local
businesses such as Schaeffler.”
The working relationship between
Schaeffler and Coleg Sir Gar is
mutually beneficial. As well as
offering work experience placements
for Coleg Sir Gar engineering
students, Schaeffler also supports
many local engineering initiatives
held at the college and organises
its own ‘open days’ at the factory.
In November 2011, for example,
Schaeffler held a ‘See Inside
Manufacturing’ open day, where
more than 60 local school children
visited the plant for a guided
tour, presentations from senior
management and an engineering
challenge.
Coleg Sir Gar supports Schaeffler
and other local companies by
offering relevant courses matched
to their needs, as well as more
specific, tailored training courses if
required.
Both Schaeffler and Coleg Sir Gar
are also particularly keen to change
the negative perceptions that many
young people have of working in
engineering. As Adam Twells puts it:
“In other European countries such
as Germany, engineering is well
respected as a profession, but here
it seems that engineering is deemed
as not being a worthy career
choice. But engineers work in highly
technological areas, and so in my
opinion, they should be comparable
to say a doctor or a lawyer.”
The key to changing these negative
perceptions, says Adam Twells, is to
target primary school children first.
“That is where the misconceptions
begin and where we can have the
most influence.”
He continues: “We are therefore
working with local primary schools,
in particular targeting 9 to 11
year-olds and talking to them about
what it is like to work in engineering.
We are trying our best to educate
parents, teachers and careers
advisors, who may have negative
views about working in engineering.”
Schaeffler is also trying to influence
the same age group. Recently,
Schaeffler Llanelli organised an
engineering challenge for 11-yearolds
from Penyrheol Primary School
in Llanelli. More than 30 pupils took
part in the challenge, which was a
variation of the Young Engineers’ Egg
Challenge. The aim was to design
and build a system that allowed
the safe transportation of two eggs
across chasms and cliff faces
without damaging the eggs, using
only limited items to create the
mechanisms.
The project took place over a
number of weeks. The children were
split into six groups and final entries
were judged by a panel including
Kate Hartigan, Managing Director
at Schaeffler UK, Roger Evans,
Plant Director, Adrian Roberts, HR
Director, and a School Governor.
In terms of learning, the school
commented that the challenge
“not only gave the pupils a greater
understanding of mechanisms and
mechanics”, but had also “helped
the pupils grow their social skills too,
by working together as a team and
collectively towards a common goal”.
Graham Griffiths, South Wales
Regional Director, EESW (Engineering
Education Scheme Wales), who
also attended the egg challenge
commented: “The engineering
project with Penyrheol school was
a resounding success. The children
modelled their innovative solutions
and were able to discuss why they
chose the designs they prototyped.
They were also able to discuss
how problems could be solved
and the solutions improved. The
learning undertaken was centred
on mathematics, science and
design technology, but through
working on their projects they also
improved their communication skills
significantly, discussing their ideas
with fellow pupils, teachers and with
visiting adults.”
“The project provided the pupils with
a good insight into the way engineers
work, which will hopefully open their
minds to the educational and career
opportunities available.”
Influencing secondary
school pupils
Secondary schools are a key age
group that needs influencing too.
Adam Twells agrees: “Coleg Sir
Gar holds regular engineering open
days for secondary school pupils,
as well as engineering challenges
and competitions. However, in my
experience, most 13-15 year olds
tend to have already made up their
minds about which career path
they want to follow. This is why the
college has started to focus more
effort on the local primary school
children.”
Whilst Twells also concedes that not
enough girls are being attracted into
engineering, he points out that it is
finding the right calibre of student
that is more important here, not
whether they are male or female.
“The real problem we have here in
Camarthenshire, and elsewhere
in the UK too, is how to attract
more higher calibre students into
engineering. Those that are enrolling
on our engineering courses here are
generally those who have struggled
to attain five GCSEs. To put it
bluntly, it seems that the brighter
students are going elsewhere and
not into engineering.”
Engineering Week Wales
One event that has been hugely
successful in changing Year 9
pupils’ negative perception of
engineering is Engineering Week
Wales (EWW).
Established in 2005 by
CollegesWales, EWW is a result
of further education colleges’
enthusiasm to demonstrate the
excellent career opportunities that
engineering provides the highest
achievers. Every year in November,
EWW gives Year 9 pupils (13-14
year olds) hands-on engineering
experiences at further education
colleges across Wales. Both boys
and girls are encouraged to take
part, with some centres organising
girl-only days. Each centre also
hosts an engineering design
challenge. More than 1,000 pupils
each year take part in the activities,
which range from aeronautics
and automotive, to electronics,
manufacturing and mechanical
engineering. Key supporters of EWW
include the Sector Skills Council
(SEMTA), Engineering UK, City &
Guilds and Careers Wales.
Coleg Sir Gar and Schaeffler are
both keen supporters of EWW.
In November 2011, Coleg Sir
Gar, supported by engineering
apprentices from Schaeffler Llanelli,
held its annual EWW Hovercraft
Challenge for local schools. The
challenge this year was to design
and build a hovercraft and then race
these.
As Twells states: “Almost every
local secondary school took part
in 2011 with more than 80 pupils
attending. The aim of the challenge
is to try to influence the pupils just
before they take their GCSE options
and in this respect, the event was a
resounding success.”
For reader enquiries, please
mention P&TR:
Schaeffler (UK) Ltd,
Forge Lane, Minworth,
Sutton Coldfield,
West Midlands B76 1AP
Tel: 0121 313 5870
Fax: 0121 351 7686
Email: info.uk@schaeffler.com
www.schaeffler.co.uk