Ford (www.corporate.ford.com) and Primary Engineer (www.primaryengineer.com) are launching a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) initiative for children in 20 primary schools across Essex.

Primary Engineer — a non-profit organisation — runs a variety of engineering-based courses with the objective of making engineering fun and inspiring the next generation of engineers.

It links Ford engineers with local schools, so they can raise awareness of STEM-related professions and help teachers and students with the practical elements of the courses.

Ford has invited 40 teachers from 20 schools to the Ford Dunton Technical Centre to take part in a one-day practical course that will enable them to deliver a classroom engineering project linked to their students’ curriculum.

During the one-day course, the teachers will design and build the vehicles that the children will be engineering throughout the academic year.

Linda Carpenter, product planning and strategy director at the Ford Dunton Technical Centre, said: “Engineering UK has recently stated that the country needs 1.8 million new engineers and technicians by 2025.

"Children form ideas about ‘suitable’ careers from a very young age, so we need to ensure that children of primary-school age are given the opportunity to learn more about STEM.”

Chris Rochester, Primary Engineer regional director, said: “Research shows that one-off STEM events have little impact on pupils.

"This is why the Primary Engineer programme aims to link schools with the engineering world, by training teachers and holding a succession of fun and engaging classroom projects that will both develop skills and motivate primary-school children in the area of STEM.”