Brunel’s Engine Shed plays host to future STEM prodigies

On Tuesday 29th January Engine Shed hosted a group of ‘Future Brunels,’ with the aim to inspire young people around science and engineering.

The Future Brunels programme is run by the SS Great Britain to introduce young people to the impact science and engineering already play in everybody’s lives, and to enthuse students around future careers during their secondary school education.

During the visit, the Future Brunels met with Paul Forster, Community Manager at SETsquared Bristol, for a workshop on turning ideas into businesses, and learned about programming and electronics using Hedgehog Bot, by Digimakers at the University of Bristol, which is a build-it-yourself Internet of Things programme. The students also learned how to make fantastic films using a smartphone with Sauce Video, and about sustainable farming using aeroponics with LettUsGrow.

Lorraine Fairbanks, Partnerships and Marketing Manager at Engine Shed, said:

“The Future Brunels got to experience some great new technology from start-up companies that are part of SETsquared Bristol, and from tech outreach at the University of Bristol. It’s brilliant to have the Year 9 pupils learning about small companies and the varied opportunities within them. They heard a lot about how the world of work is changing, and that focusing on things they enjoy will lead to their future careers.”

Studying Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths (STEM) subjects engages students with the wide range of careers available in these fields, and helps young people to understand what is available to them in the future.

For more information on the work Engine Shed does to promote a diverse workforce for the future, inspiring young people around potential careers in the tech, digital, and low carbon sectors, you can view all of our active projects here.