Generator Challenge Aims To Inspire Engineers Of The Future
Scientists of the future were challenged to design an electrical generator under the guidance of former engineers.
The Engineering Centre for North and Mid Wales (ECNMW) ran a competition at Wrexham Glyndwr University to inspire Coleg Cambria students to think about taking up a career in engineering.
Small groups worked together to design, construct and operate a model of a hand-powered generator using a Knex kit and other components provided.
The generator had to be powered by one team member and the voltage registered sustained for at least ten seconds.
Chartered Engineer Ian Binning, one of the facilitators at the event, said: “It was important as a hands-on exercise where students needed to use their brain, hands and work as a team.
“And in order to prepare them as best we possibly can for the world of work and real-life industry, there were costs and time scales involved.”
The ECNMW is run by volunteers with a passion for engineering, including retirees and working professionals.
The group organises a series of events across North Wales each year to promote engineering, construction, manufacturing and technology as career options for post-16 students.
Double the number of graduates and apprentices entering the engineering industry is needed to meet future demand, according to a 2016 report by Engineering UK.
Engineering UK, a not-for-profit group which works with industry to promote engineering, also estimated that engineering companies are projected to need 182,000 people with engineering skills each year to 2022.
Wrexham Glyndwr University’s School for Applied Science, Computing and Engineering offers more than 50 undergraduate degree courses.
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