GPT Challenge Iss1 1992 - Edge Lane

PTare helping students on Merseysideloundersta.d the fz.ts.l ndrsiri3 iteAs four der members ol the Merseysidelr'Uustry and Commerce Awards {MICA) s.hemeGPTar Edge Lhe are al thc lorehonr ofr se|e5ofinil alivesdesioned to foslerlinks belweenbusiness and ed!calionTen loca flrms and abolt 40 schools andcorlegesare ifvolved in the scheme,which hasg ven hundredsofstudents the cha.ce lo preparetorthe adurl word oi work lhrough c ose study oflhe reqion's lnduslraland commerc allie.The keylo rhe success oiihc schcmc nowinits tilth year- is ihai competinA teamsol studentsareab e lo cul the rleelh on reaiand re evanlExpla ninS someoliheaims and meihods of thcscheme, [l| le Horqan, GPT r.nrFsFntatire on lheMICA sleerinq commrrree, sa d: MICA i5 armeLlmainlyat sixlhJorm stldents Oneolthe keyleaiuresolthe scheme is the encourageil'enl 01teamworklo a.hi-Ave s!..ess in an induslr.l6rcommercial situal on. We like to see m xed ab lilyleamscompetin0 and lakeaccoLnt of this in o!r''A lthe projects are real, c!(enl businessprob ems prescnted by ilre parriclpal ng iirms w lhhelp from each company."Each leam is guidcd by acompanyad! sor, ormenlor, and each company hasthreeorlourleamsworklngon ils project. Teams normally con sisi oftourlo eiqhl stldents who wofk parr.time overtwoterms on lhe r oroiecrs. Thelrcomoanv advisorscommil lo prolid{iabout 1o ho!rs coisu tancywolkwith thengroups, but lhis is usually we Iexc6eded En.ouraoem-ent lrom bos ness experlsand the useol top class iacillties prove a powertuThe compeiition r assessed in two stages Ihelirsl slaoe ol assessmenl lakes place al thesponsor n9 company. Awinnng leam earns!l00lorlis schoo and book lokens lo lheval!e of fi00 iorlheteam membeF. Teams placed second and th rdwin book lokens to thevaloeoil50 and 125Getting ataste forbusinessWioning leams go torward io compele aqainsleach otheral lhesecond slaQe where they presenttheirrepons to a panelofj!dqes belorea. invitedaudience oi parents teachers and indusft alistsP olecrs are crlegoriscd n lhree 9roups,commericrl crealive an.l l.achnl.al and the hecrteam t.om each category receives 1200 for tsschoo orco eqe. Elerystudcnt who successfulyconpletes lheir prolect receives a descriptiveThis year lhe GPT MICA project askspart c pants to consider lhe lollowinq:Many largecompanies operate schemes ihati.volve linan.ial awards tor s!ggestio.s,innovalions and specia caftribLti(rns. cPT aiL verpoolhas two such schemes: The innovat onaward scheme and thc irdlvid!a contr but onaward scheme You are asked to investigale:1. What lype ol schemes are operaied by asamPle oJ comPanies on Merscys de?2 How ellectlve theseschcmcs are?3. $/hy UK schemes seem to bc gcneraly essetiect vethan schemes operaled by Japan.-.seandS.hools tahinq parl ,re De La Sal e Wcsl De byConrprelrenrrve dn! rl'e h tro Davtd 5.hool. GPTadv sors tothethree respective leams are E arneFowley, Tony l-l uqhes and Simon Kenn ck.The calegory winners will redelvc th.ir awardslfom the DukeolWesh nsteron linal'snight nPRoJEcT: Julielte GarnerFact-finderJuliettegives boostto schools'supporrI I then Julielrc Garncr wasUlt s€con.led iiom GPTIo!J GEcshewas asked tolook lnto Lhe need lorsohools'c!dculum suppon maler al inscience and technology. Threemonths raiershe had a projcctproposal and coslinqs ready.The time was spenl evaluatingmaterlala ready produced forteachers and consull ng avarictyof edlcalional sts. lr becameapparenr lhat, a thowh iherewas a qood mix oi maleriaiaround,lhere was a need iorworklng in coniuoclion withtheSchoo s C!rricu !m InduslryPannership (SCIP), GEC agreedto tinance apa.k.onta ning 6ixApprentices are a class actllpprenlices employed by/Fencourased 6 relu.n lorhe schoolroom lo helppupilswilh a projecl and, attlre sametime, encouraoegoodw llbelwee. the cohpanyapprenlices lrom BSG afeshowl.g yo!ngsters irom anearby school how io b! ld amoisturesensorwhich.ourdhave a number ol usei!lappllcations in the home.The apprentices, Mark Read,Sal y Dafie and AndrewH!nler, spend an hourand ahali at the aldermar WhiieComprehensive School whef esome25 pupils allend lhe rvisiled byirainees. We regardlhese visils as a two wayapprentices qain somesupe tuisory expe.ience andenjoyexira responsibil iy,wh lelhe pup ls caiiyoltausefu project " said GrahamMaltby, Recruilmenia.dDeve opmenl manaeer at lhewhileihe soil sensorhas lhernostobvous use ot inlormin!peoplewhen plants needwater, it can beadapled torAllached lo a blzzerli.ou dhelp a parlia ly.sighled peFonmeasurethe water depth in thebalh and could inforn thehouseholderwhen wash ng inpupis wanlthen to be, andlhescheme,which hasparallels al olhe. s tes! ishelping io fosler lseiu inksbetween the company andschoo sto munralhenef rJulielle has abackgro!nd inpersonne and marketing. shemanages the project on behallotGEC and cu(ently six teachershave been seconded tfom theirschoo s to write stud es.J! i€li€ commented: GEC isconcerned aboui mprov nqleve s ol a.hicv.m.nt n scicnccand lechnology n schools.Thecompanywanicd lo hclpteachers in lhe r diit c!ll lask ofCutric!l0m and my or qinal brieiwas lo t nd oul howGEc mighibestass st. spenl somel meta king lo lhe science andtechnolooyadvisorsotWatuicksh re and Coventryeducal on aulhorliies and olher"The pack conra ns sir casesludies aimed a thecoftro andmeasuremenl are4 0ltfrescience and lechnology NationalCuniculum. They are designed lohelp teachers deliverlhis parl o'thecutrlc!lumio 11 io l4yearo ds in theilassrootrr. 'I''we have qood links w th anumberol schools in theNotingham areawhich areThechoice oi prolect can beas var ed as the schools andl GUIDING LIGHT: t{ark Redshows the lads how il's donaPoduced by Editotial Associates lA6Aa 256a36. fypeset byCfL Conputer Iypesettats 1t,3.10532)7445/7. Ptinled by Yo'kshn,"CohhuhicattansGrcup(0924) 331330.