In recognition of International Women in Engineering Day, Bridgnorth Endowed invited ten Year 9 and 10 girls to attend Wolverhampton University’s ‘Raising the Bar’ event at its Telford Innovation Campus last month.
Students participated in a series of workshops, each providing an insight into different types of engineering with a view to inspiring future generations of female talent to enter the profession.
The day started with the Formula 3 Race Team Tour, during which the girls changed a tyre under timed conditions and got the chance to sit in the car.
Next was 3D printing, where they discovered the staggering number of products that can now be produced from a wide range of materials.
Chemical engineering saw the girls getting their ‘hands messy’ while making environmentally-friendly alternatives to micro-beads and also exploring their use as vectors in administering medicines.
During the Robotics Challenge, our girls really came out of their shells. The students enjoyed hands-on experience, using Mechatronics to code and then instruct robots to perform certain tasks. Two students even tried to programme their robot to write but unfortunately time ran out.
For many, the highlight of the day was the Formula 3 Simulator Challenge. It enabled the girls to release their inner demons and show off their determination, accuracy and speed.
The day was a huge success as several of our students reported that they may now consider future careers in engineering.
