Engineering Challenge Pack

The activities in this Engineering Challenge Pack are all about portraying engineering, mostly railways and roads, in a way which is engaging and fun.

The activities will support the development of key engineering skills, which include; problem solving, innovation, communication and teamwork.

A certificate will be awarded on the successful completion of the activities, more
information on certificate eligibility is outlined in the Leader Book.

Let’s get Young People introduced to Engineering!

In this activity pack, participants will get to take part in a variety of fun and interesting activities which will help them to explore what it’s like to be an Engineer. The activities range from designing their own railway route, exploring the environmental aspects of the career, to building structures and more. The activities will give them a taste of several aspects of engineering so they can explore a large portion of this vast field.

The role of an Engineer

Engineers design, they create, they build, and they innovate. They work in many different fields and many different environments. Engineers:

• Design smart technologies that are making our cities work better
• Build roads, rail and utilities that affect us all day-to-day
• Help communities prevent and recover from floods
• Find solutions to problems that affect our world
• Design better places for us all to live work and travel in the future

Railway and Road Engineers

Railway and road engineers have played a big part in shaping our transport systems; they design and maintain our roads, bridges and railway lines, helping to keep people moving in a safe and easy way. Did you know that as populations are growing there has never been a greater demand for more railway and road engineers

Re-engineering Perceptions

Research undertaken by the Engineering Development Trust (2019) demonstrates the percentage of Black, Asian and Minority Ethnicity(BAME) and females partaking in STEM subjects at different stages in education (see table below).

The table demonstrates an overall decrease in both these groups participating in STEM subjects as they progress through education. This highlights a lack of student diversity partaking in STEM, which in turn presents diversity challenges for all STEM related professions, in which Engineering is included.

The Royal Academy of Engineering (2016) highlights how this reduced diversity may be due to a lack of diverse role models within STEM related industries, resulting in students being less inspired to study these subjects and therefore pursue a related career.

The Engineering certificate sets to change young people’s perceptions of STEM and Engineering through engaging young people with fun and inclusive activities, thus driving an accessible image.