More than 100 young people, aged 5-13, were inspired by science and engineering when Sellafield Engineering Centre of Excellence (SECE) recently hosted a UK-wide initiative. The Institute of Engineering and Technology (IET) held events all over the UK in the school holidays to give young people hands-on experience of science. Cleator Moor-based SECE, with its dedicated innovation bays, was chosen as an ideal venue to show young people future opportunities.

Craig Branney, Sellafield’s head of off-site developments, said: “The buzz around the place was amazing. We had children and parents in all the bays having fun trying out the engineering challenges. It was also an honour to host such a prestigious nationwide event and hopefully we have inspired young people across West Cumbria with what the future could look like for them.”

Holly Maxwell, lead system engineer and Lorna Devine, system engineer, both at Sellafield, attended the event to inspire girls about careers in engineering. They said: “It is about showing young girls that females can be engineers and the opportunities that are open to them.”

Jenny and Peter McCullough were among the many families attending the event. Jenny said: “It is great for the children to actually see what goes on and be able to have a go at the hands-on stuff instead of just hearing about it from adults. It brings it all to life and hopefully they see from a young age the possibilities which are open to them.”

Shawn Ackerlay, commercial manager at Shepley Engineers, said: “It is good to be here and show the young people what engineering is all about. I think it is important to get this type of stuff into the curriculum so young people know more about it and further down the line they might choose an apprenticeship.”

Sellafield engineering manager colleagues Stephen Kitchen and Mike Foy, who represent the Institute of Engineering and Technology (iET), came up with the idea of holding the event at SECE and worked with Matt Walton, senior corporate account manager for the Institute of Engineering and Technology, to make the event a reality.

Artur Majchrowski, Sellafield electrical and electronic engineering graduate who is building a local iET group in West Cumbria, said: “It was great for Sellafield to open its doors to kids in this way and the SECE is the ideal place to do that. It is all about encouraging young people and giving them a never-seen-before experience of what industry looks like.”

iSH is set to transform Leconfield Industrial Estate in Cleator Moor by creating a campus where industry, SMEs, academia, and community come together to collaborate, as part of its wider programme across West Cumbria which will regenerate local opportunities.

John Maddison, managing director of iSH, said: “The more people we can introduce to the opportunities and the possibilities for them the better. I am sure many young people who have had this experience at the Engineering Centre of Excellence have gone away inspired about what they could achieve in the future.”