To encourage more students to pursue engineering as a career, global engineering technologies company, Renishaw is hosting a webinar for school children and parents as part of This is Engineering Day on 4 November.

In support of the day, created by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng), the webinar will give students and their parents the opportunity to find out more about the opportunities in science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) careers, hear from some of Renishaw’s younger engineers about their career journey and have the opportunity to ask questions in an interactive Q&A session.

The theme of this year's This is Engineering Day is BeTheDifference. The webinar, aimed at students in Year 10 and above, will focus on changing perceptions of engineering as a career and show how STEM careers can make a real difference in society.

Those taking part will hear about life-changing projects that Renishaw engineers have worked on, such as the manufacture of ventilators for the NHS to support the Covid-19crisis and a drug delivery system to treat Parkinson’s disease.

Rebecca Bound, Renishaw education outreach officer, said: “The current restrictions mean that we can’t visit many schools in person, but we still want to engage with students as much as possible.

“The webinar is an opportunity to show students the diverse opportunities in the sector. We want to show how engineers, from apprentices to senior levels, played a part in vital projects during the pandemic, such as Ventilator Challenge UK. Some of our young engineers also used their skills to 3-D print face shields and use a laser cutter to make plastic face mask clips to provide comfort for staff that had to wear them for long periods.

“Showing real world examples of how engineers make a difference in the world we live in gives students a real insight into how engineering can be an exciting and rewarding career.”

This is Engineering Day was first launched by the RAEng in 2018 to encourage more young people, from all backgrounds, to consider a career in engineering. RAEng found that 60% of student attendees would consider a career in engineering, compared to just 36% before the launch of the campaign.

Renishaw’s education outreach programme supports STEM curriculums in schools and colleges in Bristol, Gloucestershire and South Wales. Before the pandemic Renishaw hosted talks, hands-on workshops and events to encourage more students to pursue engineering as a career.

To maintain its engagement levels it is now hosting virtual 3-D printing and coding workshops for KS2 and KS3 children to teach them new engineering skills.

To find out more about Renishaw’s education outreach offering, visit the Web site (www.renishaw.com/en/education-outreach--34713).